Silicon alone isn’t cutting it anymore. One company just built a computer using live human brain cells.
Australian biotech firm Cortical Labs has unveiled the CL1—what it claims is the world’s first biological computer. This machine blends cultured human neurons with silicon, creating a hybrid system that processes information like a living brain. It’s not science fiction. It’s real, and it’s hitting the market soon.
These lab-grown neurons come from induced pluripotent stem cells—essentially, reprogrammed cells capable of becoming anything, including brain tissue. Placed on a silicon chip, they react to electrical signals, forming networks that can learn and adapt. Unlike traditional AI, which crunches numbers in a rigid, pre-programmed manner, this thing learns like a human.
Cortical Labs first demonstrated this concept in 2022 when it trained a dish of neurons to play Pong in just five minutes. That was impressive but not exactly practical. Now, the company has refined its technology, packaging it into a portable device that integrates with existing systems.
Keeping human neurons alive isn’t simple. CL1 comes inside a specialized life-support container, regulating temperature, humidity, and gas exchange—essentially a high-tech petri dish hooked to a computer. It’s expected to sell for around $35,000, making it an investment for serious researchers, not hobbyists.
Dr. Hon Weng Chong, Cortical Labs’ CEO, sees endless potential. He says CL1 could revolutionize artificial intelligence, help study consciousness, and even replace unreliable animal testing models for drug research. Essentially, if AI is a brute-force calculator, this hybrid system is the start of something far more organic and intelligent.
Traditional AI struggles with unpredictable environments. Biological intelligence, on the other hand, is built for it. The CL1 can adapt, learn from experience, and make decisions in ways silicon processors simply can’t. If this technology scales, it could fundamentally change how machines think.
This isn’t just another tech innovation—it’s a new frontier. A computer that doesn’t just process data but actually learns, reacts, and adapts like a living brain. The implications? Massive.
Five Fast Facts
- The human brain contains about 86 billion neurons—CL1’s processor uses just a fraction of that.
- Scientists have trained lab-grown neurons to play video games before, but this is the first attempt to commercialize the concept.
- Cortical Labs’ early experiments showed neuron-based systems could learn faster than traditional AI.
- Biological computing could drastically reduce the energy consumption of AI training, which currently requires massive data centers.
- Stem cell-derived neurons can live for months in a lab, but long-term viability in a commercial computer is still unproven.
