Biocomputers Running on Human Brain Cells Could Outperform AI, Say Scientists

Scientists are pushing for the development of “organoid intelligence,” or OI, powered by living human brain cells

The image displayed above is an amplified view of a brain organoid generated in Hartung’s laboratory. The specimen was stained to highlight neurons in magenta, cell nuclei in blue, and other supportive cells in red and green.

CNN — A group of scientists is exploring the possibility of creating “organoid intelligence,” or OI, using living human brain cells. Led by environmental health sciences professor Thomas Hartung at Johns Hopkins University, the team is experimenting with brain organoids, which are three-dimensional clusters of biological tissue. By assembling these organoids into new forms of biological computing hardware, the researchers envision creating a “biocomputer” far more energy-efficient than current supercomputers.

Brain organoids are advantageous for scientists because they do not require human or animal testing. Hartung has been creating functional brain organoids since 2012 using human skin cells that are reprogrammed into an embryonic stem-cell-like state. They can then be used to form brain cells and eventually organoids with functioning neurons that can sustain basic functions like memory and continuous learning.

According to Hartung, OI could enable some of the remarkable functionalities of the human brain, such as its ability to take fast decisions based on incomplete and contradictive information. While computers are faster at processing numbers and data, brains remain better at complex logical problems. Hartung believes that combining OI with AI could overcome some of the limitations of existing silicon systems.

However, the idea of using living brain cells for computing raises ethical questions. Discussions about organoids becoming sentient, conscious, or self-aware have been underway for years. The research team, which includes members with backgrounds in bioethics, is working to assess the ethical implications of working with OI.

While Hartung concedes that machines, whether based on siliceous or cellular machinery, must not decide about human life, he believes it’s time to begin increasing the production of brain organoids and training them with AI. Doing so could lead to the development of a new generation of biocomputers that outperform any artificial system and do it far more efficiently.

Key Points:

1. Scientists are exploring the potential of “organoid intelligence” or OI, powered by living human brain cells, as a future technology that could outperform artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
2. Organoids are 3D clumps of biological tissue that can be grown from human skin cells and used to form functioning neurons and other features that sustain basic functions like memory and continuous learning.
3. Brain organoids offer advantages over traditional AI systems because they can take fast decisions based on incomplete and contradictive information like intuitive thinking.
4. Biocomputers powered by brain organoids could be far more energy-efficient than current supercomputers and offer a new form of biological computing hardware.
5. The potential of organoid intelligence and biocomputers raises ethical discussions about the possibility of organoids becoming sentient or self-aware, but the technology is still thought to be immature at the moment.

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Biocomputers, Organoid Intelligence, OI, Human Brain Cells, AI, Future Technology