Cortical Labs Launches CL1: World's First Commercial Biological Computer

Sorael Nnko
Mar 6
7 min read

Australian company Cortical Labs has successfully launched the world's first commercial biological computer that uses living human brain cells to create a new form of intelligence. Officially unveiled in March 2025, the represents a groundbreaking fusion of biological neurons and silicon hardware that learns faster and requires significantly less energy than traditional AI.

This revolutionary technology, termed Synthetic Biological Intelligence (SBI), cultivates human neurons derived from stem cells on specialized electrode arrays, creating dynamic neural networks that can adapt and evolve in ways silicon-based systems cannot.

The system promises to transform multiple fields including drug discovery, personalized medicine, and robotics while raising important questions about the future relationship between biological and artificial intelligence.

The Breakthrough of Synthetic Biological Intelligence

Synthetic Biological Intelligence represents a paradigm shift in computing that merges living human neural tissue with traditional hardware components to create systems capable of learning and adapting in ways that purely silicon-based artificial intelligence cannot.

Unlike conventional AI that relies on programmed algorithms and fixed logic gates, SBI leverages the inherent adaptability and efficiency of biological neurons to create a more flexible computing framework1. This revolutionary approach enables faster learning capabilities while dramatically reducing energy consumption compared to traditional computing systems.

The biological nature of these systems allows them to form networks and respond to electrical stimuli in ways that mimic aspects of actual brain function, creating an intelligence substrate that bridges the gap between artificial and natural cognition2.

Cortical Labs has pioneered this field through years of research that culminated in the March 2025 commercial launch of their CL1 unit, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of computing technology and potentially opening new frontiers in our understanding of both artificial and biological intelligence5.

The theoretical foundations for this technology have existed for years, but the practical challenges of maintaining living neural tissue in a stable computing environment presented significant hurdles that required innovative solutions. By solving these challenges, Cortical

Labs has created a system that doesn't merely simulate neural processes but actually harnesses real biological neural mechanisms. The implications of this breakthrough extend far beyond conventional computing paradigms, potentially reshaping our fundamental understanding of what constitutes intelligence and how it can be cultivated in non-human systems3. Through their development of SBI, Cortical Labs has effectively created a new category of intelligence that exists at the intersection of biology and technology, one that learns through direct experience rather than programming alone5.

How the CL1 System Works

At the core of the CL1 system lies a sophisticated arrangement of lab-grown human neurons cultivated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These neurons are precisely placed on a specialized silicon chip featuring a grid of 59 electrodes that allow the cells to form connections and establish neural networks capable of processing information1.

This innovative design creates an environment where neurons can grow naturally and develop pathways similar to those found in the human brain, forming a biological computational substrate with unique properties2.

The entire neural network is housed within what Cortical Labs describes as a "body in a box" – a comprehensive life support system that maintains optimal conditions for cellular health through filtration, media circulation, gas mixing, and temperature regulation3. This controlled environment ensures the long-term viability of the neurons while allowing them to function as computational elements within the larger system architecture4.

What makes the CL1 particularly revolutionary is its operational independence from external computing systems. Unlike traditional neural interfaces that require separate computers for processing, the CL1 functions as a self-contained biological processing unit with its own integrated support systems2.

The system features a bidirectional stimulation and read interface that allows researchers to send signals to the neural network and measure responses in real-time, creating a dynamic interaction between users and the biological substrate3. This sophisticated interface is supported by a Python API that enables researchers to integrate the system into their own applications and develop custom experiments tailored to specific research needs3. Through this comprehensive design approach, Cortical Labs has created a biological computing platform that combines the adaptability of living neurons with the precision of traditional computing interfaces5.

From DishBrain to Commercial Reality

Cortical Labs' journey toward creating the world's first commercial biological computer began nearly six years ago under the leadership of founder and CEO Dr. Hon Weng Chong and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Brett Kagan5. Their early breakthrough came in 2022 with the development of DishBrain, a pioneering system where human and mouse neurons were integrated with high-density multielectrode arrays and trained to play the arcade game Pong through real-time electrophysiological feedback2.

This groundbreaking experiment demonstrated that neural networks could learn to respond to external stimuli and adapt their behavior accordingly, proving the fundamental concept behind biological computing5. The research garnered international attention when published in the journal Neuron, establishing

Cortical Labs as a pioneer in the emerging field of synthetic biological intelligence and setting the stage for further development of the technology5.

In the years following this initial success, the team at Cortical Labs worked diligently to refine their approach, addressing numerous technical challenges that stood between experimental proof-of-concept and commercial viability.

The transition from DishBrain to the current CL1 system involved significant improvements in hardware stability and methods for optimizing the biological components of the system5. One crucial advancement was the development of a simplified, more stable electrode system that allowed for improved long-term function and charge balancing, overcoming limitations observed in earlier CMOS-based designs2.

These technical refinements, combined with innovations in the life support systems needed to maintain healthy neural cultures, culminated in the official launch of the CL1 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on March 2, 2025, marking the commercial debut of synthetic biological intelligence technology5.

Commercial Applications and Future Potential

The revolutionary CL1 technology carries profound implications across multiple industries, with particularly transformative potential in healthcare and medical research. The biological nature of the system makes it uniquely suited for drug discovery and testing, allowing researchers to observe how pharmaceuticals interact with human neural tissue in a controlled environment that more accurately reflects biological responses than traditional testing methods4.

This capability could dramatically accelerate the development of treatments for neurological conditions by providing more relevant insights into drug efficacy and potential side effects before human trials begin3. Additionally, the system's ability to model neural networks could revolutionize disease research by allowing scientists to create and study neurological conditions in vitro, potentially leading to breakthroughs in understanding and treating conditions ranging from Alzheimer's disease to epilepsy and beyond4.

Beyond medical applications, the CL1 system promises to transform multiple technological fields through its unique combination of biological adaptability and computational precision. The energy efficiency of biological neural networks – an entire rack of CL1 units reportedly consumes only 850-1,000 watts of power – could reshape approaches to sustainable computing in an increasingly energy-conscious technological landscape5. This efficiency, combined with the system's advanced learning capabilities, also holds significant potential for revolutionizing robotics and automation by enabling more adaptive and responsive control systems that can learn from their environments in ways traditional computers cannot1.

Furthermore, the CL1's ability to process information through biological rather than digital pathways opens new possibilities for solving complex computational problems that have proven challenging for conventional computing architectures3. As researchers begin experimenting with this technology, entirely new applications may emerge that leverage the unique properties of biological computing in ways we cannot yet anticipate5.

Accessibility and Ethical Considerations

Cortical Labs has designed its revolutionary technology with accessibility in mind, creating multiple pathways for researchers and organizations to utilize synthetic biological intelligence. Units and racks of the CL1 will be manufactured to order with shipping expected to begin before the end of the second quarter of 2025, allowing institutions to acquire dedicated systems for on-site research initiatives4.

For those unable to invest in full hardware systems, Cortical Labs offers an innovative "Wetware-as-a-Service" (WaaS) model that allows customers to remotely access and work with cultivated cells via cloud-based interfaces4. This approach democratizes access to cutting-edge biological computing technology, enabling researchers worldwide to conduct experiments and develop applications without specialized equipment or extensive biological expertise5.

The cloud-based system makes it possible for anyone with appropriate credentials to connect to and utilize the CL1 platform from virtually anywhere, potentially accelerating innovation and discovery across geographical and institutional boundaries5.

The use of human brain cells in computing naturally raises significant ethical questions that Cortical Labs has worked to address proactively throughout the development process. The company emphasizes their adherence to regulations established by health agencies, bioethics committees, and government organizations to ensure responsible development and use of the technology3. A critical ethical distinction lies in the nature of the neural networks themselves – while they utilize human cells, these are derived from induced pluripotent stem cells rather than primary brain tissue, and they form limited networks rather than complete brain structures capable of consciousness5.

Dr. Kagan has described these systems as "a kind of different form of life" that represents "a mechanical and engineering approach to intelligence" rather than an attempt to replicate human consciousness5. Nevertheless, as this technology continues to evolve, ongoing ethical discussions will be essential to establish appropriate boundaries and ensure that development proceeds in ways that respect human dignity and biological integrity3.

Conclusion: The Future of Biological Computing

The launch of the CL1 system marks a watershed moment in computing history, creating an entirely new paradigm that blurs traditional boundaries between artificial and biological intelligence. As Dr. Hon Weng Chong noted at the system's launch, "While today's announcement is incredibly exciting, it's the foundation for the next stage of innovation. The real impact and the real implications will come from every researcher, academic or innovator that builds on top of it"4.

This perspective highlights the transformative potential of synthetic biological intelligence as a platform technology that could spawn countless innovations across scientific and technological domains. The coming years will likely see rapid development in this field as researchers explore the capabilities and limitations of biological computing systems and develop new applications that leverage their unique properties5.

Looking forward, Cortical Labs is already working toward even more advanced biological computing systems, including what they describe as the "Minimal Viable Brain" – a more comprehensive neural network that functions more like an integrated brain than current systems5. Such developments could further expand the capabilities of synthetic biological intelligence, potentially leading to systems with greater adaptability, learning capacity, and problem-solving abilities.

The commercialization of the CL1 represents not an endpoint but the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship between biology and technology, one that could fundamentally reshape our understanding of intelligence and computing in the twenty-first century3. As researchers begin working with these systems in the latter half of 2025, we stand at the threshold of a new frontier in computing – one where the building blocks of human thought become the foundation for a revolutionary form of artificial intelligence5.

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