Deciphering the immense heterogeneity of cells - particularly the relationship between their spatial architecture and physiological function - remains a central challenge in biology. Regrettably, conventional methodologies such as fluorescence-activated cell sorting and the Coulter counter fall short in revealing these connections and tapping into their potential biomedical applications. In this presentation, I will unveil Intelligent Image-Activated Cell Sorting, a breakthrough technology designed to execute real-time, intelligent, image-based cell sorting at an unparalleled rate of over 1000 cells per second (Nitta et al, Cell 2018; Isozaki et al, Nat. Protoc. 2019; Nitta et al, Nat. Commun. 2020; Mikami et al, Nat. Commun. 2020). This novel technology amalgamates high-throughput optical imaging, cell focusing, cell sorting, and deep learning within a hybrid software-hardware data-management infrastructure. This integration allows for real-time automated operations encompassing data acquisition, processing, intelligent decision-making, and actuation. Furthermore, I will explore an innovative class of applications in fields such as immunology, cancer biology, infectious disease, microbiology, and food science, all enabled by this groundbreaking technology.