What if I told you there’s a laboratory in Switzerland where scientists are building computers from living human neurons? Sounds like science fiction, right? But it’s happening right now, and the energy crisis driving this research is about to affect every small business owner’s cloud computing bills. In this episode, Noel, Graham, and Mauven explore FinalSpark’s revolutionary biocomputing platform. This Swiss company has created the Neuroplatform, a system using approximately 160,000 living human neurons to perform computational tasks. Their goal? Solving the massive energy consumption problem created by artificial intelligence and modern data centres. Your brain runs on 20 watts of power. Current AI data centres consume megawatts. FinalSpark claims their biological processors could use a million times less energy than traditional computing. That’s not incremental improvement – that’s fundamental transformation. But here’s the catch: this technology is still early, really early. So why should small business owners care about laboratory experiments with brain cells? Because the energy costs driving this research are already affecting your Azure bills, your SaaS subscriptions, and your cloud hosting fees. And understanding where technology is heading helps you make better decisions about where to invest your limited resources. What You’ll Learn Why energy consumption in computing matters to small businesses right now How FinalSpark’s biocomputing platform actually works (in terms that won’t require a neuroscience degree) The realistic timeline for when this technology might affect your business What small businesses should actually do about emerging technologies The security implications nobody’s talking about yet The uncomfortable ethical questions around growing human neurons for computation Key Quotes Noel Bradford:“Training a single large AI model produces the same carbon emissions as five cars create during their entire lifetime. And that statistic is from 2019. Modern models like GPT-4 produce 50 to 100 times more emissions than that.” Graham Falkner:“So naturally they thought, you know what, let’s just use actual neurons instead. Because that’s a perfectly reasonable next step when your silicon experiments don’t work.” Mauven MacLeod:“Bloody hell. Today’s topic just got properly mental.” Noel Bradford on timeline:“In the next 12 months, nothing. Ignore biocomputing entirely. Focus on the security basics most businesses are probably still getting wrong.” On security implications:“How do you secure a computer made from living cells? Do you need to understand neuroscience to exploit vulnerabilities in bioprocessors? If someone breaches a living computer system, is it a cyber attack or biological warfare?” About FinalSpark Founded by: Dr. Martin Kutter and Dr. Fred Jordan Location: Vevey, Switzerland Previous company: Alpvision (anti-counterfeiting specialists) Current project: The Neuroplatform Research credentials: Published peer-reviewed research that reached the top 1% of most-read articles in Frontiers journal Providing free access to 10 universities worldwide (36 applications received) Created APIs and documentation for remote access Built Discord community with 1,200+ members discussing biocomputing Participating universities: University of Michigan Free University of Berlin University of Exeter Lancaster University Leipzig University University of York Oxford Brookes University University of Bath University of Bristol Université Côte d’Azur (France) University of Tokyo Key Facts from the Episode Energy consumption statistics: Data centres consumed 1.5% of global electricity as of 2024 Projected to reach 3% by 2030 AI is accelerating growth exponentially Meta, Google, and OpenAI are talking about building nuclear power stations The biocomputing advantage: Human brain runs on 20 watts Modern AI data centres use megawatts (millions of watts) FinalSpark claims million-times efficiency (99.9999% reduction) Some sources cite up to billion-times more energy efficient The Neuroplatform specifications: 10,000 living neurons per organoid 16 organoids total Approximately 160,000 neurons system-wide Neurons survive up to 100 days in active use Accessible remotely by researchers worldwide Why This Matters for Small Businesses Immediate concerns: Energy costs always roll downhill to cloud hosting bills and SaaS subscriptions AI tools your business uses (Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, customer service chatbots) all burn energy Every interaction costs carbon, and those costs eventually reach small businesses Future implications: If biocomputing proves viable, benefits arrive through infrastructure improvements Your cloud providers incorporate biological processors Your costs decrease, capabilities increase You won’t buy biocomputers any more than you buy specific processor architectures now What to watch for (2-5 year timeline): •Early commercial applications in specialised tasks •Medical diagnostics applications •Pattern recognition improvements •Industry adoption signals Practical Takeaways for Business Owners Do these things now: Secure current systems properly (multi-factor authentication, proper backups) Train staff on cybersecurity basics Achieve Cyber Essentials certification Build adaptable IT infrastructure Build awareness: Subscribe to technology news sources Spend 15 minutes monthly reading about emerging tech Build mental models of where technology might head Prepare for paradigm shifts Watch for these milestones: Commercial partnerships with major tech companies Published benchmarks proving practical advantages Scaling demonstrations (thousands of neurons for months) Security framework development Independent energy validation studies Remember: Mad ideas sometimes win (iPhone, Netflix, electric cars) Companies that survive aren’t the ones that predicted the exact future They’re the ones who built adaptable systems that could pivot Focus on fundamentals whilst keeping awareness of emerging tech Resources Mentioned FinalSpark: Company website and Neuroplatform information FinalSpark Butterfly demonstration application (control virtual butterfly using living neurons) Discord community (1,200+ members) Academic publications in Frontiers journal Further reading: Full blog post with technical details and source verification available at thesmallbusinesscybersecurityguy.co.uk Research papers on biological computing Energy consumption studies for AI and data centres The Uncomfortable Questions We Need to Answer As Noel, Graham, and Mauven discuss in the episode, biocomputing raises security and ethical questions that nobody has answers for yet: Security concerns: How do you secure computers made from living cells? Can you hack biological neural networks? Do you need neuroscience expertise to exploit vulnerabilities? Is a breach a cyber attack or biological warfare? How do you wipe a neuron’s memory? Can you verify data deletion? How do you conduct forensic analysis on biological substrates? Ethical considerations: These neurons aren’t conscious or sentient (they’re biological cells performing functions) But they’re human neurons grown from human stem cells Where’s the ethical line if we can grow larger collections? How large before we worry about experiences or consciousness? How do we measure consciousness in biological systems grown for computation? Should these conversations happen now, before ubiquity? The hosts emphasize that awareness isn’t the same as answers, but these discussions need to happen before the technology becomes widespread. What the Hosts Say You Should Actually Do After 22 minutes of discussing living neurons, Swiss laboratories, and energy crises, the practical advice is refreshingly straightforward: Do Nothing different for now at least! Seriously. Don’t change your technology strategy based on biocomputing research. Instead: Secure your current systems properly Implement proper backup strategies Train your staff on cybersecurity basics Achieve Cyber Essentials certification Build IT infrastructure that serves your business objectives Why? Because the exciting developments in biocomputing don’t change the fact that most UK small businesses still haven’t done the tedious, essential security work that prevents 95% of attacks. As Noel puts it: “The companies that survive aren’t the ones that predicted the exact future. They’re the ones who built adaptable systems that could pivot when the future arrived unexpectedly.” Next Steps Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes exploring where technology is heading and what it means for your business. Leave a review if you found this episode valuable. Reviews genuinely help other small business owners find the show. Takes 30 seconds, makes a real difference. Share this episode with business owners who need to understand how energy costs are about to affect their cloud computing bills. Visit the blog at thesmallbusinesscybersecurityguy.co.uk for the comprehensive write-up with all technical details, source verification, and links to the research. Comment with your thoughts: Do you think biocomputing is the future or an expensive dead end? Your questions sometimes become future episodes. About The Small Business Cyber Security Guy Podcast Practical cybersecurity advice for UK small businesses, delivered with humour and authentic British personality. Hosted by Noel Bradford (40+ years in IT, ex-Intel/Disney/BBC, current CIO) Graham Falkner (Tech Savy small business owner & voice over artist representing the SMB reality) Mauven MacLeod (ex-government cybersecurity background) New episodes weekly Website: thesmallbusinesscybersecurityguy.co.uk Podcast feed: https://feed.podbean.com/thesmallbusinesscybersecurityguy/feed.xml Final Thoughts from the Hosts Noel Bradford:“After 40 years in this industry, I’ve learned that mad ideas sometimes win. Especially the really mad ones.” Mauven MacLeod:“Stay curious, stay sceptical, stay secure, and maybe keep one eye on the Swiss scientists growing computers in dishes.” Graham Falkner:“The small business cybersecurity challenges haven’t changed. But knowing where technology is heading helps you make better decisions about where to invest your limited resources.” Legal Disclaimer The Small Business Cyber Security Guy Podcast is produced for educational and informational purposes. All information provided is believed to be accurate at the time of recording, but cybersecurity is a rapidly evolving field. Listeners should verify current information and seek professional advice specific to their circumstances. The hosts and producers are not liable for actions taken based on information provided in this podcast. Always implement cybersecurity measures appropriate to your business needs and risk profile. Copyright 2025. All rights reserved. Tags biocomputing, FinalSpark, living neurons, computing energy crisis, AI energy consumption, small business technology, future of computing, cybersecurity, data centres, cloud computing costs, Swiss technology, enterprise technology, SMB technology strategy, emerging technology, biological computing, neural networks, technology innovation, small business podcast, UK business, cyber essentials

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