Forget AI – Meet SBI (Synthetic Biological Intelligence)!

Unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, the CL1 is unlike any AI system before it – because it’s alive. Yes, you read that right. The CL1 fuses human brain cells with silicon to create Synthetic Biological Intelligence (SBI), a smarter, more energy-efficient, and eerily human-like alternative to traditional AI.

Sounds like science fiction? Well, this sci-fi is now science fact.

How does it work?

The CL1 grows, adapts, and learns – much like a human brain. It does this using lab-cultivated neurons derived from human stem cells, which are wired up to a computer chip. Unlike traditional AI, which simply predicts patterns from pre-fed data, SBI actually learns through experience.

If this is giving you flashbacks to dystopian movies, don’t panic just yet – these mini-brains aren’t plotting world domination (not yet at least). But they are incredibly powerful.

Fun fact: The CL1’s neurons learned to play Pong in 2022 by receiving rewards and feedback inside a simulated environment. This breakthrough demonstrated the potential of SBI to develop goal-directed behaviour – something today’s AI can only dream of.

“Today is the culmination of a vision that has powered Cortical Labs for almost six years. We’ve enjoyed a series of critical breakthroughs in recent years, most notably our research in the journal Neuron, through which cultures were embedded in a simulated game-world, and were provided with electrophysiological stimulation and recording to mimic the arcade game “Pong”. However, our long-term mission has been to democratise this technology, making it accessible to researchers without specialised hardware and software. The CL1 is the realisation of that mission. 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,” said Cortical Labs founder and CEO Dr Hon Weng Chong.

Why should you care?

The implications are huge, especially for medical research and AI-driven automation.

Revolutionising drug discovery and personalised medicine
Imagine testing new drugs on real, living neurons, rather than through endless computer simulations or costly lab experiments. The CL1 accelerates drug discovery and could even help in personalised medicine by tailoring treatments based on how real human cells respond.

AI that uses a fraction of the energy
The tech industry is scrambling to make AI more energy-efficient. While today’s massive AI models like ChatGPT suck up huge amounts of power, the CL1 runs on just 850–1,000 watts per rack. That’s a game-changer for sustainable computing.

More advanced automation and robotics
Because SBI learns and adapts in real time, it could unlock the next frontier of autonomous systems, robotics, and AI-powered decision-making. We’re talking about robots and machines that aren’t just programmed to react but actually learn from their environment like a human would.

How can you get one?

If you’re hoping to buy a CL1 and plug it into your laptop, you’ll have to wait a while. These aren’t your typical computers – they’re being shipped to highly specialised laboratories and facilities that can grow their own cells.

But Cortical Labs has a clever workaround: Wetware-as-a-Service (WaaS). This cloud-based platform lets researchers remotely access live neurons and experiment without needing a physical CL1. Think of it as an online lab where you can tap into biological intelligence from anywhere in the world.

This is just the beginning. Dr Hon Weng Chong, CEO of Cortical Labs, calls the CL1 a “foundation for the next stage of innovation.” He’s already seeing huge interest from universities, researchers, and tech leaders worldwide.

With the first commercial SBI units shipping before mid-2025, we’re looking at a future where AI isn’t just programmed – it’s alive, evolving, and thinking in ways we’ve never seen before.

So, is this the dawn of thinking machines, or are we playing with fire? Either way, the future just got a whole lot more interesting.