Human Brain Cells vs DOOM: Australia’s CL1 Biocomputer in Action

Описание: An Australian startup is showing one of the strangest demos in tech right now: human brain cells integrated with a computer and trained to play DOOM.

The company is Cortical Labs, and its commercial system is called CL1 — a “biological computer” that combines lab-grown human neurons with silicon hardware. Cortical Labs markets it as the world’s first commercially available biological computer.

The gaming demo is the flashy part. The real goal is more serious: Cortical Labs says this platform is meant for research, brain modeling, and more efficient learning systems, not entertainment. The broader pitch is that living neurons may learn and adapt differently from standard neural networks, while using far less energy.

As for the hardware:
• the CL1 sells for about $35,000,
• there’s also a cloud-style rental option,
• and the first units began shipping in 2025.

So yes: right now it’s basically a beginner-level demon hunter. But the unsettling part is not how well it plays today. It’s that this category has already moved from lab curiosity to commercial product.