Scientists plan to create biocomputers using minibrains powered by human brain cells. A new paper published in Frontiers in Science says the aim is to create a new multidisciplinary field called “organoid intelligence,” or OI. Scientists are currently working to develop super-efficient biocomputers by using minibrains grown in a lab.
The new name is intended to make the field a form of “true biological computing” that harnesses brain organoids through scientific and bioengineering advancements in an ethically-responsible manner, according to the paper. These new biocomputers are made up of lab-grown minibrains, which are essentially small 3D objects consisting of stem cells.
The cells were designed to replicate the shape and abilities of the brain. These biocomputers may represent an enormous leap in computing power, according to scientists. That’s because silicon-based computers are great with numbers. But, the brain itself is much more effective at learning. Biocomputers that utilize lab-grown minibrains could hopefully push the field into the spotlight.
Scientists have already taught these minibrain biocomputers how to do a number of different things. We’ve already seen brain cells in a dish learn to play Pong, for example, showcasing how much faster these biocomputers can learn compared to traditional computers and artificial intelligence. At the end last year, scientists also combined minibrains from labs with the brains of living rats in an twisted experiment HTML1.
These movements within the field aren’t unrelated by any means, as they show the overall ability of these minibrains to compute and learn faster than traditional computer systems. Researchers will need to consider scaling up their capabilities beyond what they are capable of. In the meantime, though, these lab-grown minibrains have shown exceptional promise.
The field of organoid intelligence may have just begun to break through the ice, but so far, it’s showing some exciting propositions that, once scaled up and improved, could help push computing to an entirely new level.
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