Researchers at CORENET partners IBM, UAM and CIAL-CSIC explore chemical computing, which will allow tomorrow’s computers to run on chemistry instead of silicon. This radically new paradigm uses interconnected chemical reactions to process information with remarkable energy efficiency.

As artificial intelligence and data centers demand ever-increasing power, traditional hardware approaches are reaching their limits. Chemical reaction networks offer a promising alternative because they are inherently non-linear systems capable of complex computation without external energy input. By fully automating chemical workflows, from reaction preparation to product analysis, the IBM team has built a prototype chemical computer that can operate continuously for days.

Using large datasets generated by this system, IBM, UAM and CIAL-CSIC apply reservoir computing techniques to solve Boolean logic problems, sometimes outperforming silicon-based machine learning. The next frontier lies in practical applications like voice recognition, demonstrating that chemical computing could become a viable, sustainable solution for future information technologies.

Watch the video below to learn how chemistry could redefine computing efficiency and unlock new possibilities beyond silicon!