Determined Science Life Without Free

This interview was recorded for GOTO State of the Art in January 2026. https://gotopia.tech Read the full transcription of this interview here: https://gotopia.tech/articles/423 Dr. Ewelina Kurtys - Strategic Advisor on Frontier Technologies at FinalSpark Charles Humble - Freelance Techie, Podcaster, Editor, Author & Consultant RESOURCES Ewelina https://x.com/ewelina_kurtys https://github.com/ewelinaewela https://www.linkedin.com/in/ewelinakurtys https://www.ewelinakurtys.com Charles https://bsky.app/profile/charleshumble.bsky.social https://linkedin.com/in/charleshumble https://mastodon.social/@charleshumble https://conissaunce.com Links https://finalspark.com https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/biologically-inspired-computing-dr-ewelina-kurtys-udnhe https://finalspark.com/finalspark-6-month-research-technology-update https://finalspark.com/first-publication-from-a-neuroplatform-user DESCRIPTION Dr. Ewelina Kurtys, Strategy Advisor at FinalSpark, discusses the revolutionary potential of biological computing with host Charles Humble. The conversation explores FinalSpark's ambitious goal to build computers using living neurons that are 1 million times more energy efficient than current digital systems. Ewelina explains the technical challenges of working with brain organoids, the ethical considerations of using human stem cells, and why biological neurons could dramatically reduce AI costs while offering unique advantages for complex tasks like generative AI. The interview covers everything from neural encoding and plasticity to consciousness and the deterministic nature of the brain. RECOMMENDED BOOKS Robert M. Sapolsk • Determined • https://amzn.to/4akv2gi Jin Xu • Biological Computing • https://amzn.to/4a4Wwp9 Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/gotocon.com) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/goto_con) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/goto-) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/GOTOConferences) CHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUS Join this channel to get early access to videos & other perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/join Looking for a unique learning experience? Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket: gotopia.tech (https://gotopia.tech) SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL (https://www.youtube.com/user/GotoConferences/?sub_confirmation=1) - new videos posted daily!