mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

Lenia and Expanded Universe

arXiv 2005.03742 ↗First posted 7 May 2020nlin.CG cs.AI nlin.PScited by 23

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Abstract (arXiv)

We report experimental extensions of Lenia, a continuous cellular automata family capable of producing lifelike self-organizing autonomous patterns. The rule of Lenia was generalized into higher dimensions, multiple kernels, and multiple channels. The final architecture approaches what can be seen as a recurrent convolutional neural network. Using semi-automatic search e.g. genetic algorithm, we discovered new phenomena like polyhedral symmetries, individuality, self-replication, emission, growth by ingestion, and saw the emergence of "virtual eukaryotes" that possess internal division of labor and type differentiation. We discuss the results in the contexts of biology, artificial life, and artificial intelligence.

Key facts. Cited by 23 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). First posted on arXiv 7 May 2020.

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Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2021: 3; 2022: 4; 2023: 2; 2024: 5; 2025: 4; 2026: 5.

23 papers.

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  1. 2021Illuminating Diverse Neural Cellular Automata for Level Generationcited by 35
  2. 2024Automating the Search for Artificial Life with Foundation Modelscited by 20
  3. 2022Flow-Lenia: Towards open-ended evolution in cellular automata through mass conservation and parameter localizationcited by 11
  4. 2021Texture Generation with Neural Cellular Automatacited by 9
  5. 2023Arbitrarily Scalable Environment Generators via Neural Cellular Automatacited by 9
  6. 2024Discovering Sensorimotor Agency in Cellular Automata using Diversity Searchcited by 9
  7. 2024From Text to Life: On the Reciprocal Relationship between Artificial Life and Large Language Modelscited by 8
  8. 2024CAX: Cellular Automata Accelerated in JAXcited by 8
  9. 2021Differentiable Programming of Reaction-Diffusion Patternscited by 6
  10. 2022Hybrid Life: Integrating Biological, Artificial, and Cognitive Systemscited by 3
  11. 2022Empowered Neural Cellular Automatacited by 2
  12. 2024Emergent Collective Reproduction via Evolving Neuronal Flockscited by 2
11 more
  1. 2025Flow-Lenia: Emergent evolutionary dynamics in mass conservative continuous cellular automatacited by 2
  2. 2023Capturing Emerging Complexity in Leniacited by 1
  3. 2025The Emergence of Complex Behavior in Large-Scale Ecological Environmentscited by 1
  4. 2022Selecting Continuous Life-Like Cellular Automata for Halting Unpredictability: Evolving for Abiogenesiscited by 0
  5. 2025Rethinking Self-Replication: Detecting Distributed Selfhood in the Outlier Cellular Automatoncited by 0
  6. 2025Complex System Exploration with Interactive Human Guidancecited by 0
  7. 2026Evolving Many Worlds: Towards Open-Ended Discovery in Petri Dish NCA via Population-Based Trainingcited by 0
  8. 2026Von Neumann Networkscited by 0
  9. 2026Semantic Lenia: Emergence of Homeostatic Solitons within the Semantic Space of Large Language Modelscited by 0
  10. 2026The Artificial Experimentalist: Discovery and Control of Self-Organizing Phenomena with Autotelic Reinforcement Learningcited by 0
  11. 2026Self-Replicating Neural Cellular Automata: Quantifying Emergent Phenotypic and Genotypic Diversity in an OpenEnded Substratecited by 0