A team from Monash University in Australia has secured more than $403,000 in federal funding to merge human brain cells with artificial intelligence (AI). Their objective is to cultivate around 800,000 brain cells on silicon chips and educate them to perform specific tasks. The ultimate aim is to create a novel form of machine intelligence that can continuously learn, a capability that existing AI technology lacks. The researchers envision this technology exceeding the capacities of traditional silicon-based hardware. Their prior work, which involved brain cells playing the game Pong in a dish, drew global attention and was published in the “Neuron” journal, showcasing the potential of this technology. Associate Professor Adeel Razi said that these advancements could have significant implications in various fields including robotics, advanced automation, brain-machine interfaces, and drug discovery.
Unlike current AI technology, which struggles with adapting to change and acquiring new skills while retaining old ones, brains excel at lifelong learning. By studying the biological mechanisms behind this lifelong learning by means of growing human brain cells in an elaborate petri dish system named “DishBrain,” the researchers aim to replicate the learning capacity of biological neural networks in AI machines. Achieving this goal will require scaling up the hardware and methodology by creating a practical substitute for former in silica [aka computational medicine] experiments. The fusion of human brain cells with AI holds the potential to revolutionize the technology field. This combination of human intelligence and AI can unlock new possibilities and enable advanced levels of learning and problem-solving. Moreover, this research not only paves the way for developing more sophisticated AI systems but also reveals insights into the mechanisms of lifelong learning. As the project progresses, further breakthroughs and innovations are expected in this rapidly evolving and exciting field
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