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An Australian startup has unveiled the world’s first commercial biological computer that runs on living human brain cells.
Melbourne-based Cortical Labs launched the CL1 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, describing it as a “body in a box” that holds the potential to revolutionise AI and robotics.
The computer uses lab-grown neurons that grow across a silicon chip, which allows them to send and receive electrical impulses.
This setup is then integrated into Cortical Labs’s Biological Intelligence Operating System (biOS), through which users can deploy code through the neurons and perform computing tasks.
An internal life support system of pumps, gas, and temperature controls keep the neurons alive for up to six months.
“A simple way to describe it would be like a body in a box,” Brett Kagan, chief scientific officer of Cortical Labs, told New Atlas.
The biological-based system is able to learn and adapt more efficiently than conventional silicon-based computers, while also using significantly less energy.
An early version of the biological computer that featured 800,000 human and mouse neurons on a chip was able to teach itself how to play the video game Pong.
A paper published in the journal Cell said the neurons learned and exhibited sentience when embodied in the simulated game world.
The company claims to have put guardrails in place in order to address ethical concerns relating to consciousness and sentience, though few details were provided. The Independent has reached out to Cortical Labs for comment.
“The neuron is self programming, infinitely flexible, and the result of four billion years of evolution,” Cortical Labs states on its website.
“Our technology merges biology with traditional computing to create the ultimate learning machine... Unlike traditional AI, our neural systems require minimal energy and training data to master complex tasks.”
Cortical Labs said the first CL1 computers will be ready to ship to customers in June, with each unit costing around $35,000 (£27,000).
“Today is the culmination of a vision that has powered Cortical Labs for almost six years," said Cortical founder and chief executive Dr Hon Weng Chong.
"Our long-term mission has been to democratize this technology, making it accessible to researchers without specialized hardware and software. The CL1 is the realization of that mission.
“While today’s announcement is incredibly exciting, it’s the foundation for the next stage of innovation. The real impact and the real implications will come from every researcher, academic or innovator that builds on top of it.”