Microsoft researcher builds a working neural network out of goats in Age of Empires II to critique AI science

A Microsoft researcher has demonstrated a neural network built entirely using game units and map features within Age of Empires II. The project serves as a critique of current artificial intelligence research, highlighting the author's findings that many academic papers incorrectly attribute human-like reasoning to large language models. By constructing a functional system out of unconventional game components, the study suggests that superficial model behavior can be misinterpreted as genuine intelligence.