FinalSpark, a Swiss technology firm, has launched a groundbreaking initiative, allowing scientists to rent biocomputers made from human brain cells. These advanced organoids, priced at $500 a month, offer a novel, low-energy alternative to traditional AI models. Although their lifespan is relatively short—lasting only up to 100 days—these organoids are a cutting-edge step forward in the intersection of biology and computing.
Training these biocomputers is complex, requiring delicate procedures involving positive dopamine rewards and negative electrical stimulation to form new neural pathways, similar to the human brain. Given the potential degradation of organoids, they often need to be transferred to new clusters to maintain performance. The limited lifespan is a challenge, but with careful monitoring and adaptation, these biocomputers could hold tremendous promise in evolving AI systems.
Despite broad interest from universities worldwide, FinalSpark has limited access to only nine institutions. Among them are prestigious names like the University of Michigan, the Free University of Berlin, and Lancaster University in Germany. These institutions will explore the impact of electrical and chemical stimuli on organoids and how these reactions can shape AI learning models.
The University of Michigan, for instance, is delving into how organoids could be integrated into larger AI systems, potentially supplementing or replacing silicon-based technologies. FinalSpark’s earlier innovation, Neuroplatform, also showcased the firm’s focus on this biotechnological frontier, where brain organoids replace silicon chips to handle computational tasks with far lower energy consumption.
FinalSpark believes biocomputers may usher in a new era of AI development, where biological structures are trained using reinforcement learning principles. These brain cell-based systems could revolutionize the way AI models are built, trained, and powered in the future.