Forget silicon – the future of computing might be alive. Cortical Labs just launched the CL1, the world’s first commercial biological computer powered by actual human neurons, blurring the line between technology and biology in ways that would make sci-fi authors blush.
At its core? Living brain cells cultivated on a silicon chip, dancing to the tune of Cortical’s biological OS (biOS). These neurons don’t just crunch numbers – they learn, adapt, and evolve in a simulated environment, leveraging 4 billion years of evolutionary programming that puts even GPT-5’s algorithms to shame. “Digital AI mimics intelligence,” says Cortical. “We start with the real thing.”
Here’s how it works:
- Neurons grow in nutrient-rich solutions, forming living circuits
- biOS translates real-world problems into neural impulses
- The system self-programs – no rigid code required
- Early units cost $35,000 (a steal compared to €80k alternatives)
“But can it scale?” That’s the trillion-dollar question. Cortical’s already building 30-unit neural server stacks, with cloud access planned for 2025. If successful, this could revolutionize everything from drug discovery to climate modeling – assuming we’re comfortable with sentient servers.
The Apple Lisa parallel is eerie. Priced at inflation-adjusted 32,500,Lisafloppedcommerciallybutbirthedmoderncomputing.At35,000, the CL1 faces similar make-or-break challenges: Can biological computers escape the lab? Will ethics committees freak out? And most importantly – will these brain cells ever unionize?
