Z80 machine-code evolution paper shows self-interested, self-replicating agents spontaneously learn cooperation
xuanalogue · x · 2026-09-11
A new paper, Tapes Together Strong: The Co-evolution of Computation and Cooperation (arXiv 2609.10817; authors include Blaise Agüera y Arcas, Natasha Jaques), introduces Autopoietic Game Theory, where social behavior, computation, and reproduction share one energy budget and co-evolve.
- Substrate: randomly initialized programs in Z80 machine code, testing whether self-interested, self-improving, self-replicating agents can learn to cooperate
- Key finding: embedding a social dilemma directly into the physics of computation favors emergent cooperation — under scarcity, defection becomes self-limiting since stealing shared energy slows execution and blocks reliable replication
- Evolved programs suppress stealing across multiple Z80 environments; spatial assortment further boosts structural complexity and task performance
Related event: New Paper Shows Self-Replicating Programs Spontaneously Evolve Cooperation(3 posts)→
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