As artificial intelligence (AI) is the trending topic of discussions, scientists are on the verge of introducing a type of intelligence that is 1,000 times more powerful than AI.
The emergence of AI (artificial intelligence) has significantly impacted human life over the past decade. While the development of AI continues to spark various debates, researchers have embarked on creating a form of intelligence that is far more advanced. This is known as Organic Intelligence (OI).
What You Need to Know About OI – Organic Intelligence
Organic Intelligence is a form of artificial intelligence created from human brain cells. (Image: Forbes)
Organic Intelligence, or OI, is a type of artificial intelligence developed from human brain cells. Scientists will utilize 3D culture technology to develop human brain cells. Subsequently, they will employ computational technology to train thinking patterns and behaviors, thus creating a hybrid entity of man and machine called biological computing or biocomputing technology. This program is being carried out by researchers at Johns Hopkins University (USA).
Vision of the Organic Intelligence Research Project
According to Lena Smirnova, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University, the vision of the organic intelligence development project is to leverage the power of biological systems to advance the fields of life sciences, biotechnology, and computer science.
The research team is currently cultivating a “biological brain” developed from human brain cells in the laboratory. It resembles a small sphere composed of approximately 50,000 cells, with a nervous system the size of a fruit fly. However, within this object, brain cells communicate through synapses and electrical impulses. At the current stage, scientists may take decades to scale this up to an intelligent brain system akin to that of a mouse.
Scientists are cultivating a “biological brain” developed from human brain cells in the laboratory. (Image: Forbes)
Researchers are advancing biocomputing by using a 3D scaffold of human brain cells and brain-machine interface technology. These organs share tasks similar to the structure and function of the brain, primarily focusing on learning and memory. In simpler terms, they will serve as biological hardware for machines.
Advantages of Organic Intelligence
Thomas Hartung, a professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Johns Hopkins and the head of the research team, stated: “Current computers cannot compare to the human brain. The human brain has an astonishing capacity to store information: an average noggin can hold about 2,500 terabytes, which is roughly 1,000 times more than the latest MacBook Air. While silicon-based computers perform better with numbers, the brain learns better. Furthermore, it uses significantly less energy than silicon.”
The brain consists of about 100 billion neurons interconnected through over 10^15 synapses. (Image: Forbes)
Supercomputer Frontier, located in Tennessee, USA, cost up to $600 million and has an installation area of 631,000 square meters. Yet, as of June last year, it only surpassed the computational capacity of the human brain for the first time while consuming energy a million times greater.
Additionally, silicon computers are reaching physical limits as they cannot pack more transistors into a small chip, whereas the brain is entirely different. It has about 100 billion neurons interconnected through over 10^15 synapses, making it the ideal solution for enhancing machine intelligence.
What Sets OI Apart from AI?
Some key differences between organic intelligence and artificial intelligence include:
- Learning: Organic intelligence can learn from experience and adapt to new situations, while AI requires explicit programming and training to learn.
- Creativity: Organic intelligence has the ability to generate novel and creative ideas, whereas artificial intelligence is limited to the data it has been trained on.
- Emotion: Organic intelligence can experience and express emotions, while AI lacks emotional capacity.
Organic intelligence and artificial intelligence fundamentally differ in their capabilities, limitations, and underlying structures. (Image: Forbes)
- Context: Organic intelligence can understand and operate within complex contexts, while AI is confined to specific tasks it has been programmed to perform.
- Adaptability: OI can adapt to new and changing environments, while AI requires reprogramming to adjust to new situations.
In summary, organic intelligence and artificial intelligence fundamentally differ in their capabilities, limitations, and underlying structures.
The Future of Organic Intelligence
Clearly, the use of organic intelligence could address the excessive energy consumption issues faced by supercomputers running on silicon semiconductor chips. From the comparisons made, we can see that supercomputers, despite their ability to process numbers at light speed, cannot handle more complex problems as efficiently as organic intelligence, which consumes far less energy.
Scientists are ambitious about soon launching organic intelligence technology that far surpasses AI. (Image: Forbes)
However, similar to AI, scientists are still concerned about potential risks that could threaten humanity if organic intelligence exceeds our control. Therefore, it is crucial to have independent scientists and bioethicists overseeing the activities of organic intelligence.
Fortunately, the Cortical Lab in Australia has announced the development of 800,000 brain cells in a petri dish, while to power a computer or storage memory similar to that of the human brain, they need at least 10 million cells. Nevertheless, scientists remain ambitious about soon introducing organic intelligence technology that far surpasses AI. If successful in the future, this bold technology could render current computer chips obsolete.
