Brain-Cell BioComputers Promise a Greener AI

A Swiss startup called FinalSpark just introduced a groundbreaking service that lets scientists rent cloud access to “biocomputers” made from human brain cells for $500 a month.

These biocomputers could revolutionize AI by using up to 100,000 times less energy than current systems.

The biocomputers are built from organoids—clusters of human brain cells—that can function and compute for up to 100 days.

The AI models are trained in a way that mimics natural brain processes, using dopamine for positive reinforcement and electrical signals for negative feedback.

FinalSpark is confident that this approach could dramatically improve energy efficiency in AI training, a field notorious for its heavy energy demands.

However, the use of brain organoids in computing is uncharted territory, raising ethical questions about the potential for these cell masses to somehow achieve consciousness. For those curious, the behavior of these organoids is live-streamed around the clock.

This innovation could be a game-changer for AI, but it also opens up a Pandora’s box of ethical dilemmas that the industry will need to address.

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