DayOne launches Singapore’s first biological data center prototype

DayOne Data Centers, Cortical Labs, and the National University of Singapore (NUS) Medicine have launched Singapore’s first biological data center prototype. This initiative utilizes biological computing, also known as wetware, which employs living neurons grown from stem cells connected to silicon hardware to process information.

The prototype features a 20-unit CL1 biological computing system, representing the world’s first independently operated biologically integrated server rack. This technology aims to provide a more energy-efficient and adaptive complement to traditional silicon-based infrastructure, particularly as AI capacity expands under stricter environmental constraints.

Compared to traditional hardware, the biological system offers significantly lower power intensity. For instance, a single CL1 unit, including its life-support system, consumes approximately 30 watts, whereas a high-performance NVIDIA H100 chip can consume up to 700 watts. While silicon remains superior for high-speed, precise tasks like large language models, biological computing is viewed as advantageous for sparse data environments, such as robotics navigation and cybersecurity anomaly detection.

Researchers emphasized that the system does not possess consciousness, addressing potential ethical concerns. The collaboration seeks to use the system for understanding disease mechanisms and drug screening while establishing a scientific basis for scaling biological computing in data centers.