17. 03. 2025 | Natalie Bezděková

0

• Share with others    

At this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visitors were impressed by one of the most daring technological achievements – the first biological computer CL1 from Australian company Cortical Labs.

At first glance, it looked more like a laboratory device, but at its core are living human neurons created from stem cells. And this is no futuristic concept – this computer is a real commercial product that is already available on the market.

However, those interested will have to pay extra for the innovation, the price starts at 35 thousand dollars (about 805 thousand crowns). Alternatively, its computing power can be harnessed via a cloud interface as part of a “Wetware-as-a-Service” (WaaS) service, which is more affordable. Cortical Labs has already had several groundbreaking projects – for example, in 2022 it entertained the world by teaching human neurons on a petri dish to play Pong, a simple eight-bit game from Atari. Back then it was a proof of concept; today the result is a working biological computer.

The development of the CL1 was also supported by a grant of 600,000 Australian dollars (about 8.6 million kronor) from the Australian Army’s National Security Innovation Support Programme.

Why a biological computer? Traditional silicon-based chips have physical limitations such as high power consumption. Biological systems that combine silicon with living neurons offer computational flexibility, learning and adaptation capabilities. So-called synthetic biological intelligence, as Cortical Labs calls it, is fundamentally different from conventional AI systems – it does not mimic intelligence, but uses the actual biological structures that naturally make it up.

However, the new approach raises ethical questions. For example, the lifespan of neural cells is limited – according to the company’s data, they last about six months, after which the system must be renewed. Still, the goal is to create a so-called Minimal Viable Brain, which would be capable of complex data processing.

The CL1 technology is so far focused on research purposes, particularly drug development and robotics. But Cortical Labs sees much wider potential in biological computers, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence. So the time may be approaching when science fiction ideas about linking biology and technology will become a common reality.

Photo source: www.pexels.com

Natalie Bezděková

I am a student of Master's degree in Political Science. I am interested in marketing, especially copywriting and social media. I also focus on political and social events at home and abroad and technological innovations. My free time is filled with sports, reading and a passion for travel.