---
id: "concept-organoid-intelligence"
type: "concept"
source_timestamps: ["§ Artificial Intelligence Meets Organoid Intelligence"]
tags: ["biological-computing", "neuro-engineering", "fringe-tech"]
related: ["concept-living-intelligence", "concept-generative-biology", "entity-cortical-labs", "entity-dishbrain", "claim-bioengineering-gpt", "contrarian-bioengineering-supremacy"]
definition: "A field of science that creates biological computers by interfacing lab-grown neural tissues (organoids) with electronic hardware to perform computational tasks."
sources: ["futures"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-futures"
originDay: 2
articleStem: "hbr-foci-73-living-intelligence"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/01/why-living-intelligence-is-the-next-big-thing"
sourceTitle: "Why “Living Intelligence” Is the Next Big Thing"
---
# Organoid Intelligence (OI)

**Organoid Intelligence (OI)** is an emerging field that uses **lab-grown biological tissues** — specifically brain cells and stem cells — to create **biological computers**. These *organoids* are miniature replicas of tissue that function similarly to human organs. By interfacing them with electronic hardware, researchers create systems that mimic the structure and function of the human brain.

The landmark example is [[entity-dishbrain|DishBrain]], built by [[entity-cortical-labs|Cortical Labs]]: approximately **1 million live human and mouse brain cells** grown on a **microelectric array** and successfully taught to play the video game **Pong** by sending and receiving electrical signals indicating the ball's location.

OI represents the *furthest edge* of [[concept-living-intelligence|Living Intelligence]] — moving computing away from silicon and into living tissue. It is closely tied to [[concept-generative-biology|Generative Biology]] and anchors [[contrarian-bioengineering-supremacy|the contrarian argument for bioengineering supremacy]].

**Definition:** A field of science that creates biological computers by interfacing lab-grown neural tissues (organoids) with electronic hardware to perform computational tasks.

> *Enrichment caveats:* (1) The source's claim that OI "debuted prominently in 2024" is **inaccurate** — the concept has been discussed in the scientific and media ecosystem for several years. (2) The field is highly experimental and far from practical computing deployment. (3) Popular summaries compress a nuanced closed-loop experiment into "cells played Pong"; the real result is *adaptive behavior in a closed-loop feedback system*, not human-like game understanding.