In early 2020, ICDO founders Joshua Bongard (University of Vermont) and Michael Levin (Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University) were among the lead authors of a paper showcasing a remarkable achievement: the world’s first computer-designed organism.
The New York Times called these tiny cell clusters, which could move and self-repair, “a new class of living robotics,” with the potential to profoundly change science, medicine and our understanding of life itself.
Just a few years ago, a machine designed by computer and constructed of living cells was the stuff of science fiction. Not anymore. Researchers at the Institute for Computationally Designed Organisms (ICDO) are creating living machines inspired by the designs and capabilities of biology and computing. These “biobots” are a new form of artificial intelligence—and they’re changing the world.
“Design of resilient, adaptive, autonomous robotics will greatly benefit from importing deep ideas [contained in] biological software that exploits noise, competition, cooperation, goal-directedness and multi-scale competency.” (Bongard and Levin)
The ICDO spans two locations—the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, led by Michael Levin, and the Morphology, Evolution & Cognition Laboratory at the University of Vermont, led by Josh Bongard.
ICDO is developing a new conceptual framework to explore life, machines and intelligence. This framework will help researchers to advance innovation at the frontier of science and technology, and to address the vitally important ethical and philosophical questions inherent in their work.