Linking 15 Biological Computers Surpasses Conventional AI Performance

Australia’s Cortical Labs introduced HIVE, a system that connects 15 CL1 biological computers into a collective network, enhancing their problem-solving and learning abilities. This development marks a structural shift in biological computing by overcoming the variability of individual neural cultures through shared processing.

HIVE demonstrated significant gains in tests presented at the International Conference on Organoid Intelligence in Washington, D.C., on October 26 and 27, 2026. Linking seven biological computers increased symbol recognition accuracy from 80% to 99%. In a virtual navigation task, the collective system scored around 70%, outperforming the best individual biological computer at 40% and a conventional AI Deep Q Network’s 32%. The system also showed greater stability by distributing tasks among neural groups, addressing the inconsistency of single cultures. CEO Dr Brett Kagan emphasized that collective biological computing offers more consistent and resilient performance.

Going forward, Cortical Labs plans to explore how neurons communicate across connected machines and whether expanding the network can further improve outcomes.

Living computers forge a ‘hive mind’ and work together to outsmart AI
By https://newatlas.com/author/bronwyn-thompson/, New Atlas