Every day, there seems to be a new advancement in computing—whether it’s OpenAI releasing ChatGPT AI, or Google announcing a breakthrough in quantum computing. Despite these innovations, some researchers believe that we’re rapidly approaching a ceiling for what traditional computing can accomplish.
In order to create the next generation of technology, some scientists are getting inspiration from the world’s most powerful computer: the human brain. That’s the driving force behind the field of biocomputing, a term that describes using biological molecules like DNA or cells as part of tech hardware. The idea is that if we’re able to merge brain organoids, or clumps of neurons in a petri dish, with computing systems then we might be able to create computers with the operational power of the human mind.
The concept isn’t exactly new. We’ve seen biocomputers in movies, books, and TV shows like Dune and The Terminator. There have also been limited instances of it in real life. In October 2022, a team of scientists were even able to demonstrate that a group of brain cells in a petri dish could “play” the video game Pong. The system, dubbed DishBrain, connected a computer to the cluster of neurons. To move the paddle to hit the ball, the cells would send electrical signals to the computer to tell it what to do.
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Over time, the neurons were actually able to improve their Pong game—reducing the amount of times they missed the ball and increasing the amount of times they did. This showed that they were able to actually adapt to their new “environment” while accomplishing goals and establishing behaviors. While they might have mad gaming skills, a fully operational biocomputer still remains a bit of a white whale for biotechnologists.
“Since the beginning of the computer era, engineering has aimed to emulate brain-like functionality, most obviously by striving for artificial intelligence,” Thomas Hartung, a professor of environmental health sciences at Johns Hopkins, told The Daily Beast. “Still, we are far away from achieving brain functionality [in a computer.]”
Advances in brain organoids have shown that they’re able to replicate certain aspects of memory and even cognition while in a petri dish. That’s why Hartung is leading a team at Johns Hopkins into the creation of the field of organoid intelligence (OI), a term that describes the developments and systems into creating an ethically sound biocomputer. The group published a paper of their proposal in the journal Frontiers in Science on Feb. 28.
The team believes that research into biocomputing would have a number of benefits outside of creating more advanced and powerful computers. For one, it would be a lot more energy-efficient—and better for the environment as a result. Frontier, one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, was able to produce the computational capacity of a single human brain just last year, according to Hartung. However, it requires a “million times more energy” than our minds—not to mention $600 million.
Thomas Hartung is leading a team at Johns Hopkins into the creation of the field of organoid intelligence (OI), a term that describes the developments and systems into creating an ethically sound biocomputer.
Will Kirk/Johns Hopkins University“The hope is that some of the remarkable functionalities of the human brain can be realized in OI such as its ability to make fast decisions based on incomplete and contradictory information (intuitive thinking), the continuous learning, and the data- and energy-efficiency,” Hartung explained.
Additionally, Hartung claimed that the field of OI could also lead to the development of new treatments for neurological disorders like dementia or Alzheimer’s. The development of biocomputers requires research into the “biology of learning, memory, and other cognitive functions.” This will allow scientists to use brain organoids to potentially test for new drugs and treatments for cognitive decline.
Of course, when you’re dealing with what are essentially mini-brains, there are a ton of big hairy ethical questions to consider. Issues surrounding potential sentience or self-awareness with biocomputers need to be addressed—which brings into question whether or not something like this should be pursued at all.
What does it mean if the computer you’re using is essentially a human inside of a machine? Can it experience “pain?” What do we even consider sentient when it comes to computers anyway? More importantly, what happens when a biocomputer crosses that line?
To their credit, the team is incorporating ethicists into their OI discussions and “agreed on a concept of embedded ethics where they actually follow developments and observe the actual work in the laboratory,” Hartung said. Questions surrounding the ethics of biocomputing will likely remain so as long as we keep using human brain cells, though.
A fully functioning biocomputer is still a far-flung reality. Hartung believes that it could take decades before OI is powerful enough to have the computational power of a mouse’s brain. However, the research to actually create a biocomputer will go a long way in not only creating the next generation of computers, but also potentially finding new treatments for some of the most destructive neurodegenerative conditions out there.
And you don’t need the smartest brain to see why that’s good.
