The world's first commercial biocomputer made from human brain cells has appeared
Australian startup Cortical Labs has announced the world's first commercial biocomputer, the CL1 , which is expected to perform calculations using neural networks, including AI, by connecting cultured human brain cells to a silicon chip.
Cortical - CL1
World's first 'Synthetic Biological Intelligence' runs on living human cells
https://newatlas.com/brain/cortical-bioengineered-intelligence/
Melbourne start-up launches 'biological computer' made of human brain cells - ABC News
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2025-03-05/cortical-labs-neuron-brain-chip/104996484
Cortical Labs is working on the development of the 'Minimal Viable Brain,' a concept that uses a minimal number of human neurons for bioengineering applications.
Cortical Labs attracted attention in 2022 when it developed the 'DishBrain,' which uses human neurons to play the video game 'Pong.'
Successfully made a human 'mini brain' cultivated in a laboratory play a game, mastering it in just 5 minutes, faster than AI - GIGAZINE
CL1 is the world's first commercially available synthetic biological intelligence (SBI) using human brain neurons. It is characterized by the formation of neural networks by placing neurons cultured from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) created from blood samples on a silicon chip, making it the first biological neuron system that can operate without an external computer.
The main body is a box-shaped unit slightly larger than a shoebox. Server units can be formed in groups of 30 in one rack, and power consumption can be suppressed to about 850 to 1000W for the entire rack. The price starts at $35,000 (about 5.2 million yen) per unit.
It can also be connected to the cloud through a remotely accessible WaaS (Wetware-as-a-Service) platform, with plans to have four server stacks running on a commercial cloud system by the end of 2025. This will make it possible to access biological neural networks via the cloud without actually owning a physical device.
The front panel has a small display that shows system status and measured values.
The case has a transparent cover that allows the internal systems to be seen, including a 'life support system' that consists of waste filtration, culture medium storage, pumps to maintain the environment, and temperature control devices.
The CL1's main neuronal platform consists of hundreds of thousands of cultured neurons arranged on metal and glass electrodes, forming a network of 59 electrodes in total. According to Cortical Labs, the size of the neuronal network is 'between that of an ant's brain and that of a cockroach's.'
CL1 provides random or patterned information to neurons through electrodes: random electrical signals are sent for incorrect responses, and patterned electrical signals are sent for correct responses, so the neurons learn to respond correctly.
Neurons adapt their networks to produce energy-efficient, predictable outcomes, while avoiding behaviors that would result in random, chaotic electrical signals.
What makes CL1 significantly different from conventional AI systems is its energy efficiency. In addition, while conventional AI systems need to learn from large amounts of data, biocomputing systems like CL1 have the ability to make complex judgments from small amounts of data. Cortical Labs explains that this is similar to the ability of humans, mice, cats, and birds to reason from small amounts of data.
'We see CL1 as a kind of life form that is actually different from animals and humans, and we see it as a mechanical and engineering approach to intelligence,' said Dr. Brett Kagan, Chief Scientific Officer of Cortical Labs. 'We're building the foundation of intelligence, the neurons, in a new way,' he said. 'You don't have to make a tiny human or a cat or a mouse on a plate. We can build a discrete neuronal system and use it for whatever purpose. It's not going to have properties like consciousness, and we can test and evaluate it, and we can avoid any risks.'
'Our long-term mission has been to democratize the Minimal Viable Brain and make it accessible to researchers without specialized hardware or software,' said Chung Hongwen, CEO of Cortical Labs. 'CL1 is the realization of that mission. Millions of researchers and innovators around the world will be able to impact reality with the possibilities that CL1 offers.'
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