The Technology, Opportunities, and Challenges of Synthetic Biological Intelligence

Overview

Journal Biotechnol Adv

Specialties Biochemistry
Biotechnology

Date 2023 Aug 9

PMID 37558186

Authors

Brett J Kagan

Christopher Gyngell

Tamra Lysaght

Victor M Cole

Tsutomu Sawai

Julian Savulescu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Integrating neural cultures developed through synthetic biology methods with digital computing has enabled the early development of Synthetic Biological Intelligence (SBI). Recently, key studies have emphasized the advantages of biological neural systems in some information processing tasks. However, neither the technology behind this early development, nor the potential ethical opportunities or challenges, have been explored in detail yet. Here, we review the key aspects that facilitate the development of SBI and explore potential applications. Considering these foreseeable use cases, various ethical implications are proposed. Ultimately, this work aims to provide a robust framework to structure ethical considerations to ensure that SBI technology can be both researched and applied responsibly.

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