Neural basis of cooperative behavior in biological and artificial intelligence systems

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Source: Science Magazine

Original: https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.adw8151?af=R...

Published: 2026-01-01T08:00:00Z

The study examined cooperation in mice and artificial intelligence systems as they learn to coordinate actions to achieve shared rewards.1][2] In mice, key social behavioral strategies and decision-making processes that facilitate successful cooperation have been identified.2][3] These processes are represented in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and ACC activity directly contributes to cooperative behavior.1][2] Inhibition of ACC activity significantly reduced cooperation in the animals.1][2] Artificial agents trained in a similar task developed similar behavioral strategies and neural representations as biological brains.[1][2] Both systems formed functional groups of neurons that improved response to cooperative stimuli, with partner information gaining in importance with better coordination.1][1] Selective disruption of cooperative neurons in AI dramatically reduced the performance of cooperation.[1] Research has revealed fundamental principles of cooperation common to biological and artificial systems.[1][2