The potential applications of organoid intelligence include studying neurological conditions, testing the impact of substances on memory and learning, and understanding human cognition. However, the development of organoid intelligence raises ethical concerns, such as the potential for organoids to develop consciousness or feel pain. The researchers are working with ethicists to ensure the development of organoid intelligence is conducted ethically and responsibly. The field is still in its early stages, with the development of organoid intelligence comparable to a mouse's brain power potentially taking decades.
Key takeaways:
- A team of researchers in the United States is working on a new field called “organoid intelligence,” which involves creating computers powered by human brain cells. These machines could potentially revolutionize pharmaceutical testing, provide insight into the human brain, and change the future of computing.
- Dr. Thomas Hartung and his colleagues at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Whiting School of Engineering have been growing brain organoids from human skin samples since 2012. They envision combining the power of these organoids into a type of biological hardware that is more energy efficient than supercomputers.
- The researchers have developed a blueprint for organoid intelligence that includes tools from bioengineering and machine learning, along with new innovations. They have also created a brain-computer interface device that can pick up signals from the organoid and transmit signals to it.
- Developing organoid intelligence raises a number of ethical concerns, including whether the organoids can develop consciousness or feel pain, and if those whose cells were used to make them have any rights concerning the organoids. The researchers are working with ethicists to continuously assess these issues as the research evolves.