🧠 Singapore Just Opened a Data Center Powered by Living Human Neurons
This sounds like science fiction, but it went live on July 16.
Australian startup Cortical Labs, together with the National University of Singapore and data-center operator DayOne, has launched a biological computing facility where part of the processing is performed not by GPUs — but by living human neurons grown in a lab.
Inside are 20 CL1 biological computers. Each contains at least 200,000 neurons grown on a silicon chip covered with electrodes. The neurons originate from human blood cells that are reprogrammed into stem cells and then differentiated into neurons.
And yes, the computers have to be fed.
Every three days, technicians supply the cells with sugar, micronutrients and pH buffers, while a life-support system regulates oxygen, nitrogen and CO₂.
The strange part is that these neurons can actually learn.
Cortical Labs’ earlier DishBrain experiment showed human and mouse neurons learning to play Pong, with measurable learning appearing within just minutes. Earlier this year, developer Sean Cole connected around 200,000 human neurons to DOOM — allowing them to navigate the game and shoot at enemies.
Biology is nowhere near silicon in raw speed. But it has another advantage: efficiency.
A CL1 consumes around 30 watts. An NVIDIA H100 SXM can draw up to 700 W, while an eight-H100 server may consume roughly 10 kW including supporting hardware.
Cortical Labs also argues that biological neural networks may learn from far smaller datasets — closer to how humans adapt from limited experience.
Access to one CL1 currently costs about $2,200 per month. Cortical Labs already operates 120 units in Melbourne with around 20 paying customers, and Singapore could eventually expand to 1,000 biological computers.
So no, neurons aren’t replacing GPUs tomorrow.
But we have officially reached the stage where a data center needs electricity, an internet connection… and food.
Cyberpunk is becoming an engineering discipline.
#Biocomputing #Neuroscience #AI #DataCenters #CorticalLabs
https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/forget-silicon-chip-servers-singapores-newest-data-centre-needs-to-be-fed
