It’s like a 21st century version of Frankenstein’s monster.
Switzerland-based startup FinalSpark claims to have built
a unique computer processor made from 16 mini brains
developed out of human brain tissue — and they are positioning
this “living computer” as an alternative to silicon-based
computing. And now, other researchers can remotely access the
startup’s biocomputer, the Neuroplatform, to conduct studies on,
let’s say, artificial intelligence, which typically requires
enormous resources.
“One of the biggest advantages of biological computing is
that neurons compute information with much less energy than
digital computers,” a scientist and strategic advisor wrote in a
company blog post. It is estimated that living neurons can use
over 1 million times less energy than the current digital
processors we use. The startup takes brain organoids, small
samples of human brain tissue derived from neural stem cells,
and places them in a special environment that keeps these
organoids alive. They then hook up these mini brains to
specialized electrodes to perform computer processing and digital
analog conversions to transform neural activity into digital
information.
The concept of living computers has been around for quite
some time now. Last year, for instance, scientists hooked up
neurons to electrical circuits, resulting in a device that could
perform voice recognition. These unusual machines have some
noteworthy advantages over their silicon-based counterparts,
including a significantly smaller carbon footprint. “This is one of
the reasons why using living neurons for computations is such a
compelling opportunity. Apart from possible improvements in AI
model generalization, we could also reduce greenhouse emissions
without sacrificing technological progress,” she said.
FinalSpark hopes other institutions will tap its
Neuroplatform in order to advance biocomputer research, while
positioning this tool as the next step in AI computing. As AI
companies clamor for resources for data centers, with concerns
growing over carbon emissions and water, it’s a novel approach
that may just pay off in the long run.
Internet:<futurism.com/neoscope> (adapted).