Lori Schafer in Forbes Tech Council: How Nature Inspires Tech: Real-World Examples Of Living Intelligence

Read the full article in Forbes here.

To a layperson, technology and biological life may seem like opposite poles. However, the tech industry regularly draws lessons from living organisms, striving to build tools and systems that not only learn, adapt and evolve—like artificial intelligence—but can also make decisions and take action in real time, as humans do.

From neural networks to swarm robotics, many of today’s most sophisticated technologies are inspired by the natural functions and collective behavior of living organisms. Below, members of Forbes Technology Council share compelling real-world examples of “living intelligence” technologies, as well as natural creatures and phenomena that are inspiring adaptive tech systems and tools. Read on to learn what the convergence of nature and technology signals for the future of humanity.

1. AI-Powered Cancer Tissue Analysis

As a cancer scientist, I use digital AI technology to analyze cancer tissue slides. I am impressed that this innovative technology can predict immune cell types with spatial context. It can derive thousands of features that human eyes can’t see. I can see a gold mine in front of us—some of these features can be groundbreaking in detecting cancer and predicting the outcomes of therapies. - Rachel Tam, Bristol Myers Squibb

2. Complex Systems That Model Swarm Intelligence In Starlings

Starlings exemplify one of nature’s most mesmerizing displays of swarm intelligence in action. Their behavior demonstrates how simple sets of localized rules can give rise to complex collective phenomena. This natural model has applications in modeling complex systems through simple interaction rules, giving rise to emergent properties and behaviors that are otherwise difficult to simulate holistically. - Anuradha Weeraman, Verdentra

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3. Restored Personal Autonomy With Brain-Computer Interfaces

Neuralink’s brain-computer interface, which enables a person with quadriplegia to control devices with their thoughts, is stunning. It’s living intelligence merging AI and biotech to restore personal autonomy. Implications include revolutionizing healthcare and enhancing human capabilities—but it also raises ethical questions about privacy and cognitive augmentation. - Lori Schafer, Digital Wave Technology

4. Robots Capable Of Navigating Complex Terrains

Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot, which can autonomously navigate complex terrains, is a powerful example of living intelligence in action. Its ability to adapt in real time mirrors biological instinct. The broader implication? AI and robotics are evolving from scripted automation to embodied cognition, unlocking transformative potential in defense, disaster response and industry. - Srinivasa Rao Bittla, Adobe Inc.

5. Prediction Of Protein Structures

One real-world example of living intelligence that impressed me is DeepMind’s AlphaFold. It accurately predicted protein structures, solving a 50-year-old challenge in biology. This breakthrough accelerates drug discovery and disease understanding—a glimpse into AI’s potential to revolutionize science and healthcare. - Akhilesh Sharma, A3Logics Inc.

6. AI-Powered Deforestation Monitoring

AI-powered satellite imagery analysis for deforestation monitoring has impressed me. By leveraging machine learning and computer vision, the Global Forest Watch project has improved accuracy and speed in detecting forest loss. This highlights the potential for AI to drive environmental sustainability and inform policy decisions, ultimately contributing to more effective conservation efforts. - Pooja Jain, Meta (Facebook)

7. Resilience Testing Through Chaos Engineering

A compelling example of living intelligence in cloud and DevOps is Netflix’s Chaos Engineering platform, which simulates real-world failures to proactively test system resilience. This intelligent, self-healing infrastructure ensures uptime and performance at scale, highlighting how AI-driven automation and observability can revolutionize system reliability and DevOps maturity. - Hrushikesh Deshmukh, Fannie Mae

8. Citywide Traffic Optimization With City Brain

One of the most interesting cases is one developed by Alibaba Cloud. “ET City Brain” monitors the entire traffic flow of the city of Hangzhou, China, in real time, analyzing cameras, sensors, GPS and traffic lights in order to optimize circulation and reduce traffic jams. Additionally, it responds instantly to any accident or special incident. - David Barberá Costarrosa, Beeping Fulfilment

9. Swarm Intelligence Inspired By Honeybees

The distributed decision-making of honeybees is a strong example of biological intelligence. Through decentralized communication, bees make complex collective decisions, such as choosing their new hive. AI and robotics algorithms draw inspiration from nature’s teamwork, demonstrated by swarm intelligence, which provides efficient solutions to real-world problems. - Roshan Mahant, LaunchIT Corp.

10. Decentralized Systems Inspired By Ants

Ants build cities, farm aphids and coordinate like tiny logistics pros—all without a boss. That decentralized brilliance inspired algorithms behind things like traffic flow and delivery routing. Turns out, a little chaos with clear rules scales beautifully. Nature’s “dumb” systems often outsmart centralized control—sometimes the smartest move is letting go (strategically). - Joel Frenette, TravelFun.Biz

11. Sustainability Insights From Mycorrhizal Networks

Mycorrhizal networks—the “wood-wide web”—fascinate me. Through fungal connections, trees share resources and warnings, showing a form of collective intelligence. This challenges brain-centered definitions of intelligence and reveals the deep interdependence in ecosystems—an insight vital for sustainability. - Mohit Menghnani, Twilio

12. Autonomous Vehicles That Learn And Evolve

Tesla’s self-driving cars are a powerful example of living intelligence, learning and evolving with real-time data. Their neural network adapts continuously, making decisions that improve over time. This dynamic AI system is transforming transportation and holds broad implications for industries like healthcare, manufacturing and logistics, offering new potential for automation and efficiency. - Nicola Sfondrini, PWC

13. Neural Networks Modeled On The Human Brain

The human brain’s ability to recognize patterns and make decisions is a prime example of living intelligence that has deeply influenced the field of artificial intelligence. The brain’s ability to process complex data through interconnected neurons, for instance, has inspired the development of neural networks, leading to breakthroughs in image recognition and natural language processing. - Udit Mehrotra, Amazon

14. Tech Inspired By Context-Aware, Adaptive Crows

Urban crows in Japan drop nuts onto crosswalks, timing traffic to crack shells and safely retrieve food—an elegant display of living intelligence improvising and adapting to an urban environment. Crows offer inspiration for AI and robotics: context-aware, adaptive and seamlessly integrated with human infrastructure. - Amy Gu, Dynamsoft

15. Frictionless Retail With ‘Just Walk Out’ Technology

Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology stands out as a prime example of living intelligence within the e-commerce field. The system enables customers to purchase items without waiting in lines by integrating AI technology with sensors and computer vision. The retail industry is being transformed through this seamless shopping experience toward fully autonomous and personalized, frictionless retail commerce. - Amit Ojha

16. Autonomous Threat Detection In Finance

One real-world example of living intelligence is autonomous threat detection in financial networks using AI and behavioral analytics. I have seen systems flag and isolate anomalies in real time, without human intervention. The broader impact is clear: It proves that living intelligence can adapt, learn continuously and defend complex environments with speed and precision. - Srikanth Bellamkonda

17. Context-Aware Retail Personalization

Over 10 years ago, Zappos impressed me with a smart checkout prompt: After I ordered shoes, its system suggested rubber boots because of the rain forecast around my delivery date. It blended personal context with weather data—a great early example of living intelligence, long before the likes of ChatGPT normalized the use of AI. - Agur Jõgi, Pipedrive

18. Robotic Tomato Pollinators

A standout example of living intelligence is Costa Group’s use of computer-vision-powered robotic pollinators in tomato greenhouses. In place of bees, these AI-driven robots improved yield by up to 15%. This showcases how smart automation can solve ecological and regulatory challenges, opening doors for sustainable, tech-enabled agriculture worldwide. - Tarun Eldho Alias, Neem Inc.

19. Technology And Urban Planning Inspired By Slime Mold

Humans are being inspired by slime mold's strategic mastery. Physarum polycephalum is a brainless single-celled organism that can solve mazes and optimize nutrient pathways, challenging our notions of intelligence. Its ability to make decisions and adapt to complex environments suggests cognition may be more distributed than we think. It’s inspiring developments in decentralized computing, robotics and urban planning. - Cristian Randieri, Intellisystem Technologies

20. Empathetic AI Credit Risk Analysis

An AI tool that analyzes credit risk adapts to real-time life events like layoffs or health bills. Analyzing nontraditional signals can redefine lending fairness. This living intelligence bridges empathy and economics, hinting at a future where automated finance tools react with humanlike instinct. - Jitender Jain