Artificial liver technology refers to an in vitro device with detoxification, metabolism and other functions, temporarily replacing the liver function. It is mainly used for the auxiliary supportive treatment of patients with liver failure or hyperbilirubinemia. At present, artificial liver technology is divided into non-biological artificial liver and biological artificial liver. The former is widely used and can improve transaminase and coagulation function for liver failure caused by various reasons. For bio-artificial liver, the researches focus on seed cells and bioreactors. In this article, the indication and classification of artificial liver are reviewed.