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What’s even better than quantum computing? How about computers that use biological hardware made with cultures of brain cells!

Cerebellar Purkinje brain cells

Brain organoids

organoid intelligence the new frontier in biocomputing

Artificial intelligence (AI) has made impressive strides in recent years, but it still falls short in many ways when compared to the human brain. This has led scientists to explore a new approach to computing using three-dimensional cultures of brain cells, known as brain organoids, as biological hardware.

In a recent article published in Frontiers in Science, a group of top scientists describe this new interdisciplinary field as “organoid intelligence” (OI), which they believe will launch a new era of fast, powerful, and efficient biocomputing.

For nearly two decades scientists have used tiny organoids, lab-grown tissue resembling fully grown organs, to experiment on kidneys, lungs, and other organs without resorting to human or animal testing. Brain organoids are lab-grown cell cultures that aren’t ‘mini-brains,’ but share key aspects of brain function and structure. They have a three-dimensional structure, which increases their cell density 1,000-fold, allowing neurons to form many more connections.

Better AI, more energy-efficient, what’s not to like?

While silicon-based computers are better with numbers, brains are better at learning. Brains are not only superior learners but also more energy efficient. The amount of energy required to train an AI like AlphaGo is more than is needed to sustain an active adult for a decade. This is where organoid intelligence comes in. It has the potential to revolutionize how we think about computing and solve problems that traditional computers cannot handle all while using less energy (think laptops that can run for days).

Brain organoids aren’t just for computers

The promise of organoid intelligence goes beyond computing. Scientists can develop personalized brain organoids from skin samples of patients suffering from neural disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease. They can then run multiple tests to investigate how genetic factors, medicines, and toxins influence these conditions. This could lead to more effective treatments and personalized medicine.

Ethics first

Creating human brain organoids that can learn, remember, and interact with their environment raises complex ethical questions. The authors are partnering with ethicists to establish an ‘embedded ethics’ approach to develop OI in an ethical and socially responsible manner. This approach allows ethical considerations to be integrated throughout the development process, rather than being addressed only at the end.

OI proof of concept

Even though OI is still in its infancy, proof of concept has already been established. A team of scientists has shown that a normal, flat brain cell culture can learn to play the video game Pong, and they are now testing this with brain organoids. The future of organoid intelligence is exciting and full of potential. The authors believe that the road to realizing OI’s full potential lies in building the community, the tools, and the technologies necessary to do so.

Image Credits

In-Article Image Credits

Cerebellar Purkinje brain cells via Wikimedia Commons with usage type - Creative Commons License. September 7, 2017
Organoid intelligence: The new frontier in biocomputing via Frontiers/John Hopkins University with usage type - Public Domain

Featured Image Credit

Cerebellar Purkinje brain cells via Wikimedia Commons with usage type - Creative Commons License. September 7, 2017

 

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