Wetware computer
The most notable prototypes have stemmed from the research completed by biological engineer William Ditto during his time at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
[3] His work constructing a simple neurocomputer capable of basic addition from leech neurons in 1999 was a significant discovery for the concept.
The combination of “hardware” and “software” into one dynamic, and interdependent system which uses organic molecules and complexes to create an unconventional model for computational devices is a specific example of applied biorobotics.
In an overly simplified, non-technical analysis, cellular function can be broken into the following components: Information and instructions for execution are stored as DNA in the cell, RNA acts as a source for distinctly encoded input, processed by ribosomes and other transcription factors to access and process the DNA and to output a protein.
Bray's argument in favor of viewing cells and cellular structures as models of natural computational devices is important when considering the more applied theories of wetware to biorobotics.
[6] In 1999 William Ditto and his team of researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University created a basic form of a wetware computer capable of simple addition by harnessing leech neurons.
A conventional computer program called the dynamic clamp, capable of reading the electrical pulses from the neurons in real time and interpreting them was written by Eve Marder, a neurobiologist at Brandeis University.
Chaotic systems have advantages for generating patterns and computing higher-order functions like memory, arithmetic logic, and input/output operations.
W. Tecumseh Fitch, a professor of cognitive biology at the University of Vienna, is a leading theorist on ideas of cellular intentionality.
[9] Fitch discusses the idea of nano-intentionality, specifically in regards to neurons, in their ability to adjust rearrangements to create neural networks.
He states "If a researcher aims to make a conscious machine, doing it with rigid switches (whether vacuum tubes or static silicon chips) is barking up the wrong tree.
"[9] Fitch believes that an important aspect of the development of areas such as artificial intelligence is wetware with nano-intentionally, and autonomous ability to adapt and restructure itself.
In a review of the above-mentioned research conducted by Fitch, Daniel Dennett, a professor at Tufts University, discusses the importance of the distinction between the concept of hardware and software when evaluating the idea of wetware and organic material such as neurons.
[10] Wetware computers should not be confused with brain-on-a-chip devices have that are mostly aimed at replacing animal models in preclinical drug screening.
Wetware computers may have substantial ethical implications,[12][additional citation(s) needed] for instance related to possible potentials to sentience and suffering and dual-use technology.
[18] While there have been few major developments in the creation of an organic computer since the neuron-based calculator developed by Ditto in the 1990s, research continues to push the field forward, and in 2023 a functioning computer was constructed by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign using 80,000 mouse neurons as processor that can detect light and electrical signals.
