Lab-grown brain organoids interfaced with electrodes enable biocomputers capable of energy-efficient computation and drug testing, with biotech companies like Cortical Labs and FinalSpark harnessing human brain cells to electrodes. Key challenges include unpredictable organoid activity and significant bioethical concerns regarding consciousness, consent, and commercialization. Public perception of the technology correlates consciousness attribution with other cognitive traits and increased ethical concerns, but also perceived benefits and overall support for research. The science works; the ethics are nowhere close to ready.
We are building conscious entities to solve computational problems and have no framework to decide whether that matters.