Cortical Labs recently announced its newest creation, the CL1, a significant development from its predecessor. This pioneering device uses living human brain cells as a complex biological information processing mechanism. The CL1’s onboard life-support system prevents brain cells from dying for as long as six months. This disruptive technology promises to transform everything from drug discovery to neurocomputation to artificial intelligence acceleration to Bitcoin mining.
The CL1 also displayed a stunning increase in functional capacity. It has 59 inputs, a whopping number compared to the paltry 8 inputs of DishBrain. This new, expanded capability enables richer interactions and more complex data processing. CL1 latency experiences a remarkable improvement, now less than 1ms. That’s a huge decrease from its predecessor’s 5 milliseconds latency. These improvements set CL1 up as a muscle Flex instrument for astro-pharmacy research and organizations to join with and carry out in advanced scientific investigation.
Advanced Features of CL1
The CL1’s onboard life-support system is equally critical. Most importantly, it takes care of the health of the living human neurons housed inside. This system supplies essential nutrients, controls temperature, filters waste, and maintains fluid balance, ensuring that the cells remain functional and effective throughout their operational lifespan.
One unit of CL1 includes approximately 800,000 lab-grown, human neurons. These neurons are created through a process known as cellular reprogramming, using skin or blood samples collected from adult donors. This unique method increases the biological relevance of the device. It also raises significant ethical issues about using human cells in technology.
From a power consumption standpoint, a rack of CL1 units take 850 to 1000 watts. When considering its sophisticated capabilities and distinct biological features, this energy demand is surprisingly minimal in comparison to classical computing devices.
Applications and Market Interest
According to Cortical Labs, they expect huge interest from at least three active areas right now — universities, startups, and government organizations. The initial run of CL1’s 115 units is projected to ship this summer with a target price of $35,000 per unit. The flexibility of CL1 makes it a great resource in basic scientific study and industry utilization.
Brett Kagan, a spokesperson for Cortical Labs, emphasized the necessity of expertise in working with such advanced technology:
“We don’t want somebody without the skills, capability, or safety.” – Brett Kagan
Kagan further cautioned against amateur attempts to harness this technology, stating:
“It’s not something you should be doing in your garage.” – Brett Kagan
The implications of CL1 go beyond just computational power. Kagan elaborated on the potential benefits of using biological components in machine design:
“Any sufficiently advanced machine becomes indistinguishable from biology because we want machines to be adaptive, self-regenerating, low energy, and sustainable—all things biology achieves.” – Brett Kagan
A New Era in Neuroscience
Karl Friston, a prominent figure in neuroscience, described the ramifications of the technology in the context of scientific inquiry:
“On one view, [the CL1] could be regarded as the first commercially available biomimetic computer, the ultimate in neuromorphic computing that uses real neurons.” – Karl Friston
Friston highlighted the importance of this technology as an enabling tool for experimentation:
“However, the real gift of this technology is not to computer science. Rather, it’s an enabling technology that allows scientists to perform experiments on a little synthetic brain.” – Karl Friston
With the CL1’s unique design, researchers will be able to uncover how neuronal circuits learn and adapt, and how they function in different environments and conditions. This capability opens doors for studying the effects of stimulation, drugs, and synthetic lesions within a controlled environment:
“It allows people to study the effects of stimulation, drugs, and synthetic lesions on how neuronal circuits learn and respond in a closed-loop setup.” – Karl Friston
Friston concluded by expressing excitement over what this technology means for philosophical discussions around consciousness and cognition:
“In short, experimentalists now have at hand a little ‘brain in a vat,’ something philosophers have been dreaming about for decades.” – Karl Friston
