The company building a ‘living computer’ with human cells

The invention of the silicon transistor was fundamental to the success of the digital age, driving the core of the modern-day digital economy. The rise of generative AI has put hardware at the epicentre of the next wave of economic growth, with chip makers such as Nvidia and AMD reaching record valuations as demand for advanced chips far outstrips supply. But as AI data centres expand, so, too, does their consumption of resources, with their demand for water and electricity rising exponentially. FinalSpark is a Swiss biocomputing company exploring more efficient ways of computing – and it’s turned to human neurons as a potential solution. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Fred Jordan, co-founder and co-CEO of FinalSpark, gives insight into “wetware” (in effect, living hardware) and what it means for the future of computing. Jordan delves into: • What inspired him turn to living neurons as a means of processing; • Parallels between his training as a signal processing engineer and his work with living neurons; • Why FinalSpark uses human neurons and not any other like those from a cat on an octopus; • How skin cells are used to “create” the neurons; • How the neurons are fed, stored and kept alive; • How long the neurons live for and the sort of computations FinalSpark has made them perform; and • His views on the future of computing. Don’t miss this intriguing discussion!