For todays brain focused post, we present an article that reaches into the realm of what was previously considered science fiction. IBM has taken the first steps to building an artificial human brain analog with a new computer chip design. The chip architecture is built as a neural network to attempt to mimic how own brains are thought to operate. Scientists hope to learn more about how organic brains work by creating and studying hardware brain analogs such as this. While this original design is impressive, this chip is very early-stage and only as complex as the brain of a bee. It is the equivalent of early electronic transistors back in the 1950s. However, remember that continued transistor development over the years has made all of todays technology possible, including the ubiquitous cellphone. Who knows, this type of artificial chip may one day turn out to be the underpinning of a true artificially intelligence, capable of independent thought and decision making. On the other hand, let us hope that we dont look back on this chip as the early development of Skynet, the scary artificial intelligence we were introduced to in the Terminator movies! ----------------------- IBM Develops a New Chip That Functions Like a Brain AUG. 7, 2014 Inspired by the architecture of the brain, scientists have developed a new kind of computer chip that uses no more power than a hearing aid and may eventually excel at calculations that stump todays supercomputers. The chip, or processor, is named TrueNorth and was developed by researchers at IBM and detailed in an article published on Thursday in the journal Science. It tries to mimic the way brains recognize patterns, relying on densely interconnected webs of transistors similar to the brains neural networks. The chips electronic neurons are able to signal others when a type of data -- light, for example -- passes a certain threshold. Working in parallel, the neurons begin to organize the data into patterns suggesting the light is growing brighter, or changing color or shape. The processor may thus be able to recognize that a woman in a video is picking up a purse, or control a robot that is reaching into a pocket and pulling out a quarter. Humans are able to recognize these acts without conscious thought, yet todays computers and robots struggle to interpret them. ... nytimes/2014/08/08/science/new-computer-chip-is-designed-to-work-like-the-brain.html
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 06:59:52 +0000
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