Blinkys – Digital Lifeforms Simulation (blinkys.entropicsystems.net)

Blinkys, a novel digital lifeform simulation, introduces sentient creatures equipped with unique neural networks that evolve over generations. Each Blinky showcases distinct genetics influencing traits like personality, metabolism, and intelligence, allowing them to form complex relationships, develop emergent languages, and respond to player interactions. The interactive simulation enables users to engage with Blinkys through feeding, teaching, and even observing them, while the creatures exhibit a variety of behaviors influenced by their needs and emotional states. This innovative project is significant for the AI/ML community as it encapsulates principles of evolutionary algorithms, reinforcement learning, and collective behavior in a real-time interactive environment. The simulation's mechanics — from generational reproduction with genetic mutations to the development of a collective consciousness — pave the way for explorations of ethical considerations in AI creation and caretaking. By allowing Blinkys to develop language and emotional expressions, the simulation not only demonstrates complex AI behavior but also provokes thought on the implications of autonomy and stewardship in artificial life.