- Cortical Labs offers access to the cloud to computing neurons for only $ 300 per week
- CL1 fuses human brain cells and silicon and can execute real code
- The system allows real -time neuronal processing for research in AI and neuroscience
Cortical Labs, an Australian startup that we have previously covered, has launched what it describes as the first commercially available biological computer of the world capable of executing code.
The CL1 device combines human neurons cultivated in laboratory with silicon hardware and is designed for neuroscience, biotechnology and artificial intelligence research.
Customers can buy a CL1 unit directly for $ 35,000 or access it remotely through a weekly rental with a price of $ 300, with the platform already available through Wetware as a Cortical Labs service.
A new way of studying the function of the brain
Each CL1 contains approximately 800,000 neurons grown from reprogrammed adult cells. These neurons are kept alive by an integrated life support system that offers nutrients and controls the environment.
Neurons communicate and adapt using electrical signals of subciloseconds, which according to the company allows the CL1 to process the tickets and generate almost instantaneously, offering a new way of studying brain function.
“The CL1 does this in real time using an abstracted simple code through multiple layers of firmware and hardware interaction,” said Brett Kagan, scientific director of Cortical Labs. IEEE Spectrum. “The sub-miliseconds loops read information, act and write new information in cell culture.”
The CL1 is based on Disqurain, a proof of concept where neurons learned to play Pong in a simulated environment.
The new model increases input channels, improves signal latency and includes hardware improvements that make it more suitable for research and possible commercial applications. It has already been used to restore the learning function in the modeling epilepsy of neuronal cultures.
The device consumes less power than conventional AI hardware and admits use cases that include drug development, AI tests and disease modeling. It requires that buyers obtain the ethical approval of new cell lines and operate within a laboratory environment.
Karl Friston, a theoretical neuroscientist, called the CL1 a “remarkable achievement” and pointed out that it provides researchers with a practical platform to test theories about learning, behavior and brain function using real neurons.
