Artificial brain

KeywordsAutomation, Cybernetics, Research, Technological developments

Abstract Gives reports and surveys of selected current research and development in systems and cybernetics. They include: Human cells may process information, Artificial brain, Genetics smartcard, Robotic revolution, Application of AI, New devices in medicine, Innovations in cybernetics and systems.

Artificial brain

Mimicking the human brain

Are our investigations into the workings of the human brain being compromised by the size of the neural models we have built? The human brain, it is estimated, has some 100 billion neurons whilst current artificially created models have but a few hundred. Whilst "small may be beautiful" a working experimental model of any biological process needs to be of a reasonable and comparable scale. Not all cyberneticians working in this area agree that our present models of the brain are too small and they doubt whether ever larger neural networks will tell us any more than smaller versions. One UK expert, Professor Igor Aleksander of Imperial College,University of London, UK, has commented on the "puzzles" concerning the brain in this context:

These puzzles are not puzzles because our neural models are not large enough.

Others, however, disagree and are set to develop huge neural networks. The architect of one such artificial brain,Hugo de Garis, is a scientist who, we are told, foresees a battle between supporters of what are called "artilects", that is artificial intellects that are superior to ourselves, and terras, who want human superiority. Such projects he believes will need the development of large networks and a more powerful artificial brain has been designed and built with a target date of mid-1999.

Most powerful artificial brain in the world?

What has been claimed to be the most powerful artificial brain in the world is being developed by researchers in artificial intelligence (AI) in an attempt to mimic intelligent behaviour. The aim is to create a robotic cat ­ a favourite animal for researchers in this field which they hope to endow with intelligence that will equal that of a real animal. To do this an enormous neural network has been created that will contain millions of neurons. The designers of this huge artificial brain report that:

The neural network computer will contain nearly 40 million artificial nerve cells, compared with other artificially intelligent machines that, typically, hold a few hundred. However, the machine will be so complex that a system similar to biological evolution will be needed to program it. Successful links between the artificial nerve cells will be allowed to reproduce and mutate until they have evolved the desired characteristics.

Called the Cellular Automata Machine it is designed in Japan and is being built in Boulder, Colorado, USA. The developers say that the machine is based on 72 computer chips whose circuits can be reconfigured 300 times a second to represent 37.7 million neurons. This,as has already been suggested, is still well short of the human brain's 100 billion neurons, but has considerably more neurons than many creatures. The artificial brain being constructed exceeds the neuron capacity of many insects'brains. Researchers say, for example that a bee has fewer than 10 million neurons.

Advances in computer chips

The researchers say that their initial plans were unveiled over six years ago and designs relied on the then current chips that were available. Since then great progress has been made in the design and production of new chips which can be programmed. Called "field programmable arrays" these new devices have had a great impact on the designs for the machine. Further advances in chip technology will also make future machines easier to build and even larger versions will be designed.

The artificial brain is scheduled for completion in the next few months. It is only then that the intelligent robotic cat, already named "Robotkoneko" can be created to confirm the value of producing such large neural networks. Whether artificial brains of this size will help scientist unravel some of the mysteries of the brain remains to be seen. Perhaps the sceptics will be surprised not only at the behaviour of Robotkoneko but also at the contributions made to the understanding of some of the basic functions of the brain.