Microsoft researcher built goat-powered LLM in Age of Empires II (www.xda-developers.com)

A Microsoft researcher, Adrian de Wynter, has created a unique proof-of-concept LLM within the classic game Age of Empires II, using goats and NAND gates. This innovative approach serves to illustrate that the human-like characteristics attributed to LLMs can be misleading and are predominantly a result of presentation rather than genuine sentience. By reconstructing the functional aspects of an LLM through game mechanics, de Wynter challenges the perception that such systems are inherently human-like entities capable of independent thought or emotion. This work is significant for the AI/ML community as it prompts a reevaluation of how we interpret interactions with LLMs and considers the anthropomorphic tendencies often exhibited by users. De Wynter advocates that attributes such as persuasiveness and self-consistency—commonly associated with LLMs—should not be misinterpreted as indicators of real behavior or sentience. Instead, his research underscores the importance of understanding these systems objectively, especially as society grapples with the implications of increasingly sophisticated AI technologies.