Start-up develops living computer from human brain cells

Large data centers consume huge amounts of energy. But the Swiss start-up FinalSpark wants to change that with its bioprocessors and has now developed the first living computer made from human brain cells.

One of the biggest disadvantages of technological progress is the “high energy costs required to process digital information,” writes the start-up FinalSpark on its website. Training artificial intelligence in particular consumes an enormous amount of computing power.

The Swiss start-up therefore wants to find alternatives to the silicon-based processors currently in use. The company is researching how to replace these processors with living computers made from human brain cells.

Swiss company develops living computer from human brain cells

However, FinalSpark does not want to solve this energy problem by finding new forms of energy generation. The start-up prefers to use “unconventional data processing”. One example of this is biological computing.

The company's website states that “living neurons are used to perform calculations.” This could create new generation processors.

We believe that unconventional computing is the best way to reduce carbon emissions.

One of the biggest advantages of biological computing is the greatly reduced energy consumption that neurons need to process information. It is estimated that these neurons require more than a million times less energy than processors currently available on the market.

Neurons originate from skin cells

The Swiss start-up is already able to develop a living computer from human stem cells. For this purpose, induced pluripotent stem cells can be taken from human skin.