Building data centers from human brain cells

Cortical Labs, an Australian startup, has announced plans to build two data centers using chips based on human neurons. The biological data centers are planned to be built in Singapore and Melbourne.

Key features of the new technology

Cortical Labs is developing biological computers. The new approach is based on the use of living human neurons grown from real blood or skin cells. The cells are connected to arrays of microelectrodes, which stimulate the cells, and the resulting impulses are converted into real digital actions.

The startup recently demonstrated how its computer played Doom. The CL1 device, on which the testing took place, consists of 200,000 cells that function on chips. Currently, the data center in Melbourne has about 120 such computers. The data center in Singapore is planned to accommodate 1,000 CL1s.

The revolutionary nature of the new approach lies in the fact that the CL1 block uses only 30 watts, compared to the 6,000 watts typically used by a GPU. Due to the minimal energy consumption, training large AI models will use less electricity, and cooling will use fewer resources.

The CL1 can be purchased for $35,000 or accessed remotely via Cortical Cloud for $300 per week. This provides researchers with the opportunity to test the new technology without having to set up their own laboratory.

However, the latest technology also has certain limitations: the systems can only support neural cultures for up to 5-6 months, after which the CL1 tubes need to be replaced. The startup was able to maintain cell viability for 500 days, which is quite a significant period. Despite all the advantages of the new approach, some opponents do not believe in the feasibility of the new technology.

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