World-first biological data center packs 16 mn living human neurons

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/world-first-biological-data-center

A Biological Data Centre represents a new generation of computing infrastructure. Instead of relying solely on conventional silicon chips, it uses “wetware” — living biological neurons derived from stem cells — to process information and support AI systems. In contrast to traditional data centres, which depend on energy-intensive servers, biological computing offers the potential for significantly greater efficiency by harnessing brain-like organoids that can operate using only a fraction of the power required by digital computers.

233 points · 102 comments · view on lemmy.world

102 Comments

brownsugga@lemmy.world · 101 pts · 4d (3 replies)

Uh oh

Madzielle@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 26 pts · 4d

woopsie

Remember_the_tooth@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 4d

OpenStars@discuss.online · 14 pts · 4d

This will in no way come back to "haunt" us...

driftwood@lemmy.zip · 84 pts · 4d (3 replies)

They should use the neurons of the tech oligarchs if they’re so smart.

schipelblorp@sh.itjust.works · 72 pts · 4d (2 replies)

They'll have to add ketamine to the bionutrient slurry.

SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.social · 12 pts · 4d (1 reply)

That’s my breakfast smoothie.

pastermil@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 4d

a meal for a champ!

Fandangalo@lemmy.world · 73 pts · 4d

I was there. They let me take a picture of the tech.

NathanRanch@lemmy.zip · 65 pts · 4d (1 reply)

As grim as it sounds, this is probably just a grift. It sounds like they're using stem cells as wires, and they'll die eventually. There's some ai word salad in the article too.

technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 2d

This is definitely a grift.

it uses "wetware" ... to process information and support "AI" systems

Most importantly, "AI" doesn't exist. Secondly there is absolutely zero "AI" technologies that need "support" from these petri dishes.

the technology could complement AI

Hmmm... Later in the article it changes from "it uses to support AI" to "it could complement AI". Curious.

Actually the first quote from OP isn't even in the article. Did they update it because it's fake?

Armand1@lemmy.world · 60 pts · 4d (1 reply)

Lovely. Man-made horrors beyond our comprehension.

inari@piefed.zip · 14 pts · 4d

I think that's true in a very literal sense

SuspiciousCarrot78@aussie.zone · 60 pts · 4d (13 replies)

Ah these guys. Weren't they the ones using electo shock therapy on their "organoids" to "teach" (force) them to play Doom?

https://hwbusters.com/news/human-brain-cells-on-a-chip-learned-to-play-doom-in-a-week/

And didn't said organoids mysteriously "fire" the moment someone walked into the lab?

https://www.sciencealert.com/brain-tissue-grown-in-the-lab-produces-brainwaves-resemblings-pre-term-babies

Nah, it'll be fine.

Hey, here's a cool idea. Why not take "samples" from "neurodivergent" children (let's say... 1500cm^3... throw in some spinal cord), finely sliced, and bathe them in Adderal, Dr Fucking Mengele. Just think how "on task" the compute will be!

In fairness, the ScienceAlert piece notes that if any start to show signs of consciousness, they will "consider" shutting the project down.

Which is reassuring in the way that a fire extinguisher on a rocket is reassuring.

PS: sorry if I was unclear. STOP FUCKING CREATING BRAINS IN A VAT, YOU FUCKING MONSTERS.

Toga77@lemmy.world · 33 pts · 4d

"if they show signs of consciousness we'll shut it down" is so absolutely batshit especially when you consider people like me learned while in school that fish don't feel any pain.

We were extremely confidently incorrect about that one.....

This is fucking abhorrent.

soyslurper2@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 22 pts · 4d

They were also engineered to be deficient in a protein that's essential for the normal function of neurons.

Given the careful engineering of the organoids to inhibit normal function, the researchers are not worried at this stage. However, if any start to show signs of consciousness, they will consider shutting the project down.

Making them stupid so they don't appear "human" 🫩

myyass@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 4d (9 replies)

Heh the angel of death got to live out a full life. I mentioned this in another post; don't be surprised if your brain gets cross sectioned and scanned before being cremated.

SuspiciousCarrot78@aussie.zone · 13 pts · 4d (5 replies)

You sure we haven't been already?

Monument@piefed.world · 10 pts · 4d (3 replies)

Ah. This is a simulation.

We must have done something heinous in “the real.”

SuspiciousCarrot78@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 4d
RobotToaster@mander.xyz · 4 pts · 4d (1 reply)

Or you opposed roko's Basilisk.

Monument@piefed.world · 2 pts · 4d

Yeah, that checks out.

myyass@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 4d

I'm sure it's been going on for a while at this point

greyscale@lemmy.grey.ooo · 4 pts · 4d (2 replies)

I'm pretty sure they want Pantheon as the endgame. Xeroscaping your brain into an image, an image they can spin up and make you work in VR forever.

myyass@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 3d (1 reply)

That would suck so bad. I hope someone will give me a double tap and destroy mine when I pass.

WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 3d

The worms will make sure we are more sufficiently scrambled, than any God-AI can re-assemble.

TeaWithDani@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 3d

Yup, I ain't donating none of my DNA, stem cells or nothing. Sorry organ receiver, I don't want clones of me being used in endless hellish torment after I'm gone. Burn every trace of my existence, thanks. Gonna live like Jerome in Gataca, with a little vacuum cleaner to clean up after my skin cells.

Imagine this company landed the 23 and me database which was sold at open auction?

GreenKnight23@lemmy.world · 52 pts · 4d

1000004588

chahn.chris@piefed.social · 45 pts · 4d

Dear humanity,

Consider maybe not.

Thanks,
-A Human

uairhahs@lemmy.world · 37 pts · 4d

As Tesla Said

schipelblorp@sh.itjust.works · 35 pts · 4d

This research will be funding Chairs at university Ethics departments for decades to come.

AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space · 33 pts · 4d

New grift just dropped

MalReynolds@slrpnk.net · 27 pts · 4d

Yay, torment nexus, and if it isn't yet, it will be soon.

muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works · 23 pts · 4d (2 replies)

Behold, the incredibly efficient human. It eats garbage, live about 80 years, adapts to any fucking environment….

Yea but it’s just not expensive enough.

RobotToaster@mander.xyz · 12 pts · 4d (1 reply)

You forgot: can be mass produced using unskilled labour

prenatal_confusion@feddit.org · 12 pts · 4d

Unskilled!? how dare you

Edit: checked with previous encounters and ... Yeah you are correct.

PerogiBoi@lemmy.ca · 19 pts · 3d (2 replies)

In the grimdark present of humanity...

YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 3d (1 reply)

We must sacrifice the newborns en masse!

PerogiBoi@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 2d

The emperor protects

NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip · 18 pts · 3d (2 replies)

Anyone else read this:

Brain cells at work Traditional data centers rely on silicon processors and general-purpose Central Processing Units (CPUs). They typically use standard air cooling to handle cloud computing, web hosting, and database storage workloads.

Biological computing, in contrast, uses wetware to process data. This consists of living neurons grown from stem cells. The neurons are connected to computing hardware via microelectrode arrays. These let electrical signals pass between the biological cells and digital systems.

And wonder what they were trying to say or why they said it this way?

Here is the part in question:

They typically use standard air cooling to handle cloud computing, web hosting, and database storage workloads.

Biological computing, in contrast, uses wetware to process data.

Ok, AND? What does air cooling have to do with anything? Is wetware NON standard air cooling?

Either way, isnt this the section where you say Traditional Data Centers rely on electricity, and these rely on X, Y or Z? Nutrient baths? Sump pumps?

WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today · 13 pts · 3d

They copy-pasted part of the wikipedia to explain something they don't really understand.

Taleya@aussie.zone · 8 pts · 3d

Yeah especially since wetware systems basically use their foodbaths to carry away heat. It's not hard...but someone decided mentioning these things are "alive" might draw some ire

HotsauceHurricane@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 4d (2 replies)

Oh so they are aiming for that evangelion shit . Cool cool cool Cool cool cool Cool cool cool

Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 4d (1 reply)

the star trek repair station, it abduct aliens and uses brains of humans to power its AI.

HotsauceHurricane@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 3d

What.

UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml · 16 pts · 3d

One day, we will look back to the time when people were allowed to die with tired unblinking eyes.

theacharnian@lemmy.ca · 15 pts · 4d

This was signed off by an ethics review board...

yardratianSoma@lemmy.ca · 15 pts · 3d (1 reply)

yo hold up, wetware is an actual thing? Since fucking when?

WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 3d

Quite some time now. Idk why they bother with making baby brains, when we have mostly functioning brains they can extract from us for cheap, to put into their kill and sex bots.

Zarobi@aussie.zone · 12 pts · 4d (6 replies)

This is the worst fucking idea I've ever heard. Please don't create the Mother Brain and hook it up to the internet.

Also: Does it count as AGI if it's just a gigantic human brain?

chewypoops@lemmy.world · -4 pts · 4d (5 replies)

Honestly though, let's just do it. The world is gonna end no matter what we do at this point, at least this finale is interesting.

Doomsider@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 4d (3 replies)

I was bullshitting with my friends one night talking about nonsense like how we would die. One of the friends pipes up and says if they got cancer or something horrible that they would try and take out as many people as possible. I asked them what they meant and they said they would steal a bus and run over a bunch of people. I was stunned and asked why and they said they wouldn't go out like a bitch.

greyscale@lemmy.grey.ooo · 13 pts · 4d

You should sow some better targets into your friends subconscious. Get them mad at someone other than their fellow workers.

fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 3d (1 reply)

No offense but your friend sounds like a bitch.

Like if I said "yeah no I'm really tough I can punch a baby" I would be a pussy 110%. Like no shit you could punch a baby, they are like cannocially helpless. Fight a boxer or something smh

Doomsider@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 3d

I never looked at them the same again. It was a chick to.

Zarobi@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 4d

🫤

orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 11 pts · 4d (14 replies)

I'm sure "mn" means "mamoneters."

(the correct abbreviation is MM, a la Roman numeral M for 1000. Mil Mil, or, 1000x1000.)

db2@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 4d (13 replies)

I think they were trying to abbreviate million

orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 8 pts · 4d (12 replies)

Which is why I provided the correct way to do so. edit: both are correct.

naught101@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 4d (11 replies)
orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 4d (10 replies)
naught101@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 4d (9 replies)

Which also says that mn is common..

Dremor@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 4d (8 replies)

Sush, don't argue with the fun police.

naught101@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 3d

What interface are you using that has user tagging on .world?

orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 0 pts · 3d

Because I was wrong?

digger@lemmy.ca · 10 pts · 4d (1 reply)

Came here looking for a comment referencing Neelix cheese... And I'm disappointed. I expected more from y'all. Where's my niche Star Trek Voyager reference?

mrnarwall@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 4d

They all died with Tuvix

FaceDeer@fedia.io · 10 pts · 4d

I'm sure people will approach this news story in a sane and well-reasoned manner.

Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 9 pts · 4d (1 reply)

they will soon to use real human brains eventually.

datavoid@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 4d

Soon? Human brains power this simulation

LazyOldPervert@lemmus.org · 9 pts · 4d (4 replies)

It's ironic because no one can prove that our universe and existence there-in is not an identical hellscape used to power the ai of some larger more superior form of sentience.

Exatron@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 3d (1 reply)

Are you suggesting our universe is just slavery with extra steps?

LazyOldPervert@lemmus.org · 5 pts · 3d

I mean the best way to keep prisoners content is to never let them know they're in a prison 🤷

magnue@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 3d

Imagine our overlords' amusement when they see us create a simulation to enslave ourselves within their own simulation.

Taleya@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 3d

Shut up and get on the gooble box

muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 4d

Every day we inch closer to a line the universe will retaliate against us for crossing.

Fizz@lemmy.nz · 8 pts · 4d

The only argument I have to support this is that they only live 30 days and arent developed enough for consciousness. But thats pretty weak considering they will obviously get better and cross the line thats acceptable. So yeah lets not go down this line of research.

db2@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 4d (3 replies)

treadful@lemmy.zip · 6 pts · 4d

hmm, I should watch that again.

baines@lemmy.cafe · 1 pts · 4d (1 reply)

xfiles?

db2@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 4d

Dollhouse

recarsion@discuss.tchncs.de · 7 pts · 3d

harnessing brainlike organoids

that sounds dangerously close to being a human

fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 3d (1 reply)

Cool. I wonder what the maintenance looks like for those, and programming.

mofongo@discuss.tchncs.de · 9 pts · 3d

If it's anything like me, it only needs sugar water and potato chips.

LodeMike@lemmy.today · 6 pts · 2d

16 mano-neters?

protovala@lemmy.today · 6 pts · 4d

Don't be fooled. They are illithids in disguise.

baines@lemmy.cafe · 5 pts · 4d

first hello world will be ‘kill me’ for this poor thing

sunbeam60@feddit.uk · 5 pts · 2d

So deeply unethical it’s unreal.

hirihit640@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 2d

hooks it up to speakers

"ahhhAAAaahAhhh"

scientists: "hmm something must be bugged, let me fiddle with it some more"

alexquiniou@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 4d

Looks like "mars express" is becoming real.

skulkbane@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2d

Aww yeah, screaming datacenter timeline unlocked.

Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de · 2 pts · 2d

I reject the notion of calling this a data center. A single rack with 20 little pods is not a data center.

They just want to be a data center, because data centers are currently on investor minds.

ThePyroPython@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 3d

So how many neurons would it take to consider forcing Windows Server to run on the wetware a crime against humanity?

Hueristic_Autistic@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 3d (2 replies)

What happens when they grow a brain that has paranoid delusions and wants to destroy us all? What happens when there's a shortage? Can people sell their loved ones to data centers for a high premium, rather than a burial or cremation?

crypt0cler1c@infosec.pub · 4 pts · 3d (1 reply)

What the fuck?? Did you read the article?

Hueristic_Autistic@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 3d

Yeah just now lol, I was being over the top and cynical when I wrote that. Like how whenever shit like this gets brought up, usually there's that one person who brings up, "the matrix." No but when they run out of stem cells, they'll turn on an artificial womb and make more fetal tissue to work with and then people will go up in arms over the fact that, "human life," is being used to support data centers when in reality it's just the cells that can be influenced.

and I mean those are also good questions. like will I be able to get a premium for giving a loved ones body to data centers for battery, rather than cremation or burial? what would happen if they decided to make mini brains and they created a brain that has mental illness or delusions and decides humans are no longer needed?

imagine them growing multiple personality brains and one day it's on manic and we're all in a happy economy and the next it's depressive and we're wondering if the bombs will drop. that's a genuine fear because of how fast people are driving ai expansion they're not 100% thinking about the repercussions.

FUCK MAN!!!! IT TOOK UNTIL THE CREATORS OF ANTHROPIC SAID THERE'S 10 YEARS LEFT FOR PEOPLE TO GIVE A FUCK!!!! So, I worry and think way too far ahead of what could possibly go wrong.