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IBM announces new chips modeled on the human brain

Written by Rich Fiscus @ 18 Aug 2011 4:31 User comments (12)

IBM announces new chips modeled on the human brain

IBM has unveiled an experimental new type of microprocessor, called a cognitive computing chip, which is designed to emulate the operation of the human brain.
The primary purpose of the technology, which is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration (DARPA), is to develop computers capable of doing things computers don't currently do well, but human brains do. For example, a person is much better at facial recognition than a computer.

In order to create their two protypes, IBM began by discarding the standard model for computer architecture, which separates memory and processing into separate components, tying all the memory to a single processor or group of processors using a shared data pathway called a bus.

By contrast, their "neurosynaptic cores," spread both processing and memory throughout the processor similar to the way neurons and synapses are arranged in the brain.

“This is a major initiative to move beyond the von Neumann paradigm that has been ruling computer architecture for more than half a century,” said Dharmendra Modha, project leader for IBM Research.



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Tags: IBM AI DARPA
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12 user comments

118.8.2011 16:50

This is absolutely insane! but I guess someone was going to do it eventually, way to go IBM!!1!

218.8.2011 17:36

Personally I feel the merging of AMDs GPU/CPU fusion project will be more powerful, but this is an interesting method to go about... Time will tell which will dominate.

318.8.2011 17:38

Basically they are looking to develop processors that learn? Holy crap that's intense lol

418.8.2011 18:50

Originally posted by Morreale:
Basically they are looking to develop processors that learn? Holy crap that's intense lol
I for one welcome our new robot overlords.

518.8.2011 19:59

Skynet is only a few more years away

618.8.2011 22:28

I hope I live to see the day where I robot is is perfectly sculpted to behave and learn as a human...or an AI you could literally have an in depth conversation with...

IBM is such an amazing company; constant innovation. Or they're extremely good at over hyping nonsense.

718.8.2011 23:08
llongtheD
Inactive

Funded by DARPA? Better at facial recognition? I can't wait to see what new "anti terror" measures these will be helpful for. Forgive me if I'm skeptical when an agency of the department of defense with a multi-billion dollar budget is involved.

819.8.2011 00:28

Originally posted by Ryoohki:
Skynet is only a few more years away
SkyNet already exists; they make power supplies and they put their names on them really big...so big that devices from other companies are sometimes misidentified as SkyNet products just because the power supply was made by SkyNet.

Originally posted by llongtheD:
Funded by DARPA? Better at facial recognition? I can't wait to see what new "anti terror" measures these will be helpful for. Forgive me if I'm skeptical when an agency of the department of defense with a multi-billion dollar budget is involved.
You may be skeptical...I am terrified. Darpa has been working on weaponized drones for a long time...and I am sure that if they can, they will put AI into their drones.

919.8.2011 11:38

So, IBM just re-invented the hardware artificial neural networks? and that's a new thing in what planet?

1019.8.2011 13:26

All I can say is, be careful! Something about this smells wrong. Skynet. LOL! That basically sums it up ;) I really hope I don't wake up someday, and have robots looking at me like I'm an inferior lifeform...

This technology needs to be programmed in such a way for safety, that the intelligence cannot circumvent! Much like I, Robot eh? Basically program it with Human safety being its prime directive.

1119.8.2011 21:33

Originally posted by omegaman7:
All I can say is, be careful! Something about this smells wrong. Skynet. LOL! That basically sums it up ;) I really hope I don't wake up someday, and have robots looking at me like I'm an inferior lifeform...

This technology needs to be programmed in such a way for safety, that the intelligence cannot circumvent! Much like I, Robot eh? Basically program it with Human safety being its prime directive.
if its self-aware, there's little point in programing a directive. that would only make things worse. its equivalent would be being born knowing yet not taught, a human would question that. what makes you think a droid programed to think like us wouldn't. besides look on the bright side a human brain wouldn't be my first choice to emulate...its known to be error prone and not very intelligent.

1220.8.2011 01:05

YOu make some valid points. I had a thought about that after posting. Being so intelligent, that a directive would have little to no effect.
I do still have a feeling, that programming could be far more advanced. I believe we've barely tapped its potential ;) Of course there's always the chance that this super intelligence could crack its own code :S
Perhaps disallowing it certain amounts of resources is the answer.

In any case, this technology is still impressive. But it scares me how fast the human race is advancing.

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