genetic programming

In artificial intelligence, genetic programming (GP) is an evolutionary algorithm-based methodology inspired by biological evolution to find computer programs that perform a user-defined task. Essentially GP is a set of instructions and a fitness function to measure how well a computer has performed a task. It is a specialization of genetic algorithms (GA) where each individual is a computer program. It is a machine learning technique used to optimize a population of computer programs according to a fitness landscape determined by a program's ability to perform a given computational task.

Is this really a real thing? how do you even generate and mutate programs?

I think I'll do some work with some circuits, and by that I mean a matrix of logic gates, with a few simple Conway's-game-of-life-esque rules on how they connect to the surrounding nodes. I'll try to make it find a simple 2-bit adder. Once it does that, select for size. Since I already have the simplest solution, I'll be able to focus on getting my interaction rules in line.