From brain organoids and neuron/microchip hybrids to fungal networks, computers made using living cells are forcing a rethink of traditional IT systems and could result in more sustainable and efficient AI.
As tech firms look to build data centres half a mile long to power their AI, fuelling massive energy demand in the process, others are asking if a new breed of ‘living’ biocomputers can provide a more sustainable and effective alternative to traditional computers based on silicon.
Recent advances underscore the potential of so-called ‘wetware’ as a medium for computation. The world’s first commercial biological computer, CL1 launched by Australian start-up Cortical Labs last year, merges human neurons grown from stem cells with a traditional silicon chip to create dynamic neural networks capable of real-time learning and adaptation.
Swiss company FinalSpark offers access to a cloud-based bioprocessing unit that harnesses tiny lab-grown brains, known as brain organoids, to enable scientists...