The CL1 is an innovative biological computer that combines living cultured human brain cells with silicon hardware in an advanced computer case that also acts as life-support for the cells.

Australian biotech company Cortical Labs recently made international news headlines by announcing what it calls "the world's first code deployable biological computer." The innovation behind the CL1 consists of placing brain nerve cells cultured from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) on a silicon chip. These cells respond to electrical signals, forming networks that process information similarly to a living brain. These responses are recorded and analyzed by AI software allowing it to learn faster than traditional artificial intelligence systems. Cortical Labs believes that integrating biological elements like neuron-based systems can improve efficiency in tasks that traditional AI struggles with, such as decision-making in unpredictable environments and situations.

Cortical Labs has been working on biological computers for a while. In 2022, it partnered with Monash University to conduct a study on this intriguing technology and managed to create a lab-dish computer capable of learning and then mastering the game of Pong in just about five minutes. It was a significant breakthrough, but the company realized that the technology wasn't of much use in the confines of a laboratory. So it started working on a portable version.

To keep the brain cells viable, CL1 comes in a life-support container that regulates a variety of elements, such as temperature and gas exchange. You can think of it as a more advanced computer case that happens to house live human neuron networks. This system allowed Cortical Labs to work on a commercial version of its biological computer which is scheduled to hit the market later this year, at a price of around $35,000.



"This platform will enable the millions of researchers, innovators, and big-thinkers around the world to turn the CL1's potential into tangible, real-world impact," Cortical Labs founder and CEO Dr Hon Weng Chong said. "We'll provide the platform and support for them to invest in R&D and drive new breakthroughs and research."

Cortical Labs believes that its "synthetic biological intelligence" could revolutionize the study of consciousness and potentially remove the need to rely on animal testing and imperfect mathematical models to study diseases and medicines.

The CL1 has been described as a sort of evolving organic computer capable of fast learning and flexibility superior to that of the traditional silicon-based AI chips used to train large-scale language models. Although its price can be prohibitive to small labs and research teams, Cortical Labs is currently working on a significantly more affordable cloud-based system that can be accessed from anywhere in the world.

As you can imagine, the use of human neurons in computing raises serious ethical concerns, and while Cortical Labs has clarified that the neurons used in the CL1 are lab-grown and lack consciousness, the company also acknowledged the need for guidelines to address moral and regulatory concerns. Is there a limit to the integration of living cells with computational hardware, and if so, what is it?