Microsoft Researcher Builds 1-Bit Neural Network in Age of Empires II as 57% of LLM Papers Anthropomorphize AI
Updated
Updated · Tom's Hardware · Jun 21
Microsoft Researcher Builds 1-Bit Neural Network in Age of Empires II as 57% of LLM Papers Anthropomorphize AI
3 articles · Updated · Tom's Hardware · Jun 21
Summary
Adrian de Wynter used Age of Empires II goats as bits to build a working NAND gate and 1-bit perceptron, arguing that if such systems seem human-like, chatbot consciousness claims should look equally absurd.
The setup was deliberately minimal rather than a full LLM, showing that a basic neural-network building block can be recreated in-game with goats, grass and bridges.
In a review of 337 computer-science papers from the past two years, de Wynter found 57% assumed LLMs could have human-like traits, a bias he says can shape testing and conclusions.
He argues interfaces do much of the anthropomorphizing work: chatbots' conversational style invites users to project personality or consciousness, a tendency AI companies may have little incentive to discourage.