Human Brain Cells Powering Computers: A New Era for Artificial Intelligence?

A new approach in artificial intelligence research is emerging, focusing on biological computers built from living human brain cells. This development is capturing increasing interest as researchers explore its potential.

According to Science Alert, these biological computers are still in their early stages but have demonstrated the ability to perform simple tasks, such as playing Pong and basic voice recognition.

The technology is driven by three interconnected trends:

• An influx of venture capital into AI-related projects, enabling rapid funding of theoretical ideas.

• Advances in techniques for culturing brain tissue outside the body, which have found applications in the pharmaceutical industry.

• The fast-paced development of brain-computer interfaces, which are blurring the lines between biology and machines.

As Bram Servais, a biomedical engineering researcher at the University of Melbourne, notes, this raises critical questions: Are these developments genuine advancements or merely a scientific curiosity? What ethical considerations arise from using human brain tissue as computational components?

* What Are Biological Computers?

For over fifty years, scientists have been cultivating neurons on electrical matrices to study their behavior. In the early 2000s, researchers began establishing bidirectional communication between neurons and electronic devices, laying the groundwork for hybrid biological computers.

The field of organoids emerged, and in 2013, scientists demonstrated that stem cells could organize into three-dimensional brain-like structures. The use of organoids has since become common in drug testing and developmental research, aided by the proliferation of "organ-on-a-chip" devices that simulate bodily functions outside the body.

Despite these advances, neuronal activity remains primitive and is far from mimicking actual brain patterns, with no evidence of consciousness or perception.

* Entering the "Organoid Intelligence" Phase

In 2022, Cortical Labs in Melbourne showcased neurons learning to play Pong within a closed system. This research garnered media attention not solely for the experiment but for the use of the term "embodied cognition," which some neuroscientists criticized as an ethical and scientific exaggeration.

Subsequently, researchers proposed the broader term "organoid intelligence"; however, this does not equate to true artificial intelligence, as the gap between the two remains significant.

* Lagging Ethical Debates

As technology advances, ethical frameworks are struggling to keep pace, often viewing organoids as medical tools rather than hybrid computational components. Researchers are calling for a swift update of ethical principles, particularly as these investigations move into commercial markets.

* Rapid Research and Commercialization Race

Currently, universities and companies in the U.S., Switzerland, China, and Australia are competing to develop hybrid biological computing platforms:

• Swiss company FinalSpark offers remote access to its neural organoids.

• Cortical Labs is preparing to launch a desktop biological computer called CL1, aimed at researchers beyond the pharmaceutical field, including AI developers.

Academic ambitions have also expanded, with a team at the University of California proposing to use organoids to predict oil spill trajectories in the Amazon by 2028.

* Uncertain Future: Curiosity or Revolution?

So far, there is no evidence of real intelligence or consciousness, as current systems only exhibit simple capabilities to respond and adapt.

The current focus is on:

• Prototyping

• Scaling up

• Finding practical applications, such as replacing animal models in neuroscience and toxicology research or predicting brain activity related to epilepsy.

However, ethical challenges are profound:

When does a system of human cells become intelligent or warrant ethical considerations? How can society regulate biological systems that function as small computers?

Though the technology is still in its infancy, discussions surrounding consciousness, intelligence, and ethics may become urgent sooner than anticipated.