cd /news/artificial-intelligence/microsoft-researcher-builds-a-workin… · home topics artificial-intelligence article
[ARTICLE · art-31612] src=the-decoder.com ↗ pub= topic=artificial-intelligence verified=true sentiment=· neutral

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

A Microsoft researcher built a neural network using goats, bridges, and ice ramps in Age of Empires II to critique AI research methods. His analysis of 315 papers found over half already assume language models have human-like traits before experiments begin.

read1 min views1 publishedJun 17, 2026

A Microsoft researcher built a working neural network out of goats, bridges, and ice ramps in the Age of Empires II map editor. What looks like a joke is a pointed critique of AI research methods. His analysis of 315 papers found that more than half already assume language models have human-like traits before the experiment even starts. Replace the chat interface with wandering goats, and the math doesn't change, but the feeling that you're talking to someone does.

The article Microsoft researcher builds a working neural network out of goats in Age of Empires II to critique AI science appeared first on The Decoder.

── more in #artificial-intelligence 4 stories · sorted by recency
── more on @microsoft 3 stories trending now
sponsored brought to you by zahid.host 4,200+ EU-deployed projects
reading about agents? ship yours in a single git push.

Run your AI side-project on zahid.host

EU-based hosting, git-push deploys, automatic HTTPS, no cold starts. Free tier with a custom domain — perfect for shipping the agent you just read about.

$git push zahid main
Live at https://your-agent.zahid.host
Get free account → Pricing
from €0/mo · no card required
LIVE [news/microsoft-researcher…] indexed:0 read:1min 2026-06-17 ·