An Australian startup has introduced the world’s first commercial biological computer powered by living human brain cells. Melbourne-based Cortical Labs showcased the groundbreaking technology, called CL1, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week. The company believes this innovation could transform artificial intelligence and robotics.
The CL1 operates using lab-grown neurons that develop across a silicon chip, allowing them to transmit and receive electrical impulses. These neurons are connected to Cortical Labs’ Biological Intelligence Operating System (biOS), enabling users to run code through the neural network and execute computing tasks. The system includes a life-support mechanism that maintains the neurons with controlled gas, pumps, and temperature regulation, keeping them alive for up to six months.
“A simple way to describe it would be like a body in a box,” explained Brett Kagan, Cortical Labs’ chief scientific officer. Unlike conventional silicon-based computers, the biological system can learn and adapt more efficiently while consuming significantly less energy.
An earlier version of the biological computer, featuring 800,000 human and mouse neurons on a chip, demonstrated its capabilities by teaching itself to play the video game Pong. Research published in Cell indicated that the neurons exhibited learning abilities and a form of sentience when engaged in the simulated environment.
Cortical Labs has implemented ethical safeguards to address concerns regarding consciousness and sentience, though specific details remain undisclosed. The company states its technology merges biology with traditional computing, creating an energy-efficient learning machine requiring minimal data to master complex tasks.
The first CL1 computers will be available for shipment in June, priced at approximately $35,000 (€32,000). Cortical Labs’ CEO, Dr Hon Weng Chong, emphasised that this is just the beginning, with future innovations expected to emerge as researchers build upon the technology.
Photo credit: www.corticallabs.com
