WorkThe story, in brief
Frustrated Microsoft Researcher Uses Goats in 'Age of Empires II' to Demo the Absurdity of LLMs - Gizmodo
A Microsoft researcher just built a neural network out of goats in Age of Empires II. Here's why it matters for how you think about LLMs.
The KeyNews take
Why it matters
Academic research challenging anthropomorphic assumptions about LLMs—demonstrating that statistical pattern-matching in games can mimic 'intelligent' behavior without any understanding. Forces founders and leaders to reconsider claims about AI sentience, reasoning, and human-like cognition.
The key facts
5 to knowMicrosoft researcher + York University collaboration
Proof-of-concept: goat-powered neural network in Age of Empires II
Core argument: LLMs don't 'behave like humans' despite natural language training
Critiques anthropomorphizing AI systems based on surface-level outputs
Published June 2026
Go to the source
Reuters Technologynews.google.com
Publisher excerpt: Frustrated Microsoft Researcher Uses Goats in 'Age of Empires II' to Demo the Absurdity of LLMs Gizmodo If AI Is Sentient Then So Is ‘Age of Empires II’ 404 Media Microsoft researcher builds a working neural network out of goats in Age of Empires II to critique AI science The Decoder Microsoft…