IBM Creates Custom-Made Brain-Like Chip 105
An anonymous reader writes In a paper published Thursday in Science, IBM describes its creation of a brain-like chip called TrueNorth. It has "4,096 processor cores, and it mimics one million human neurons and 256 million synapses, two of the fundamental biological building blocks that make up the human brain." What's the difference between TrueNorth and traditional processing units? Apparently, TrueNorth encodes data "as patterns of pulses". Already, TrueNorth has a proven 80% accuracy in image recognition with a power consumption efficiency rate beating traditional processing units. Don't look for brain-like chips in the open market any time soon, though. TrueNorth is part of a DARPA research effort that may or may not translate into significant changes in commercial chip architecture and function.
So we've created George W Bush? (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
This chip would be overkill, an old 4004 would be sufficient.
A block of wood would be sufficient. A 4004 would be overkill.
Actually... (Score:2)
A commodore 64 running NATO COMMANDER on a datasette could run the George W Bush thought process.
Re: (Score:1)
And if you believe that, you'd score lowest of all. What's that make you, the mold on the sludge on the bottom of the coffee?
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
IBM and chips (Score:5, Interesting)
It is getting hard to figure out where IBM is on chips. Arguably the 4 main chips experiencing investment are: x86, ARM, Z-Series processors and POWER series 2 of which are IBM. OTOH there is no roadmap for POWER beyond the current generation. I'd love to know is IBM getting more serious about CPUs or pulling back?
There is POWER9 on the roadmaps (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
No, I'm an IBM partner which means I can sell their stuff. I've never worked directly for them.
So, we are going to have artificial Brains Soon? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
I couldn't understand why this chip will not available in the open market.
The millitary boys want to keep their toys secret to prevent the enimies getting them.
Re: (Score:2)
. . . I wacky-parsed the title as: "IBM Creates Custom-Made Brain-Like Chimp.
. . . so just imagine where that thought train derailed me . . .
Re: (Score:1)
Can't Purina use them in Zombie Chow? If so, I would rather feed that to the neighborhood zombies instead of my own gray matter?
Re: (Score:2)
I am just curious to know whether this chip can lead to the development of artificial brains to be used by Humans in future?
That's easy: No.
Kurzweil is the modern equivalent of a televangelist.
to save others googling (Score:5, Interesting)
The number of neurons in the brain varies dramatically from species to species. One estimate (published in 1988) puts the human brain at about 100 billion (10^11) neurons and 100 trillion (10^14) synapses.
100 billion divided by 1 million = 100,000 of these chips to reach the human neuron count.
100 trillion divided by 256 million = 390,625 of these chips to reach human synapse count.
Assuming Moores Law for these chips with a doubling every 24 months to be conservative.
2 of these on a chip in 2016
4 of these on a chip in 2018
8 of these on a chip in 2020
16 of these on a chip in 2022
32 of these on a chip in 2024
64 of these on a chip in 2026
128 of these on a chip in 2028
256 of these on a chip in 2030
512 of these on a chip in 2032
1024 of these on a chip in 2034
2048 of these on a chip in 2036
4096 of these on a chip in 2038
8192 of these on a chip in 2040
16384 of these on a chip in 2042
32768 of these on a chip in 2044
65536 of these on a chip in 2046
131072 of these on a chip in 2048
262144 of these on a chip in 2050
So we could be seeing human brain capabilities on a chip by mid century. Quite possible we'd see similar capabilities built as a supercomputer 10-20 years before that. Don't flame for the wild assumptions I'm making here - i know there are a lot, this is just intended as some back of the envelope calculations.
Re: (Score:2)
Specific activities engage only part of a brain - so we probably only have to go go 10% or so. That cuts less than a decade though, so 2040 something
Re: (Score:1)
It's true, there is a documentary about it in the cinemas right now.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V... [wikipedia.org] ... so, parts of the brain are specialized for specific activities.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C... [wikipedia.org]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C... [wikipedia.org]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C... [wikipedia.org]
Or you use all your brain for any activity you do, and you can't do two things like Napoleon: sit on a horse and look left ?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
The problem is, most of these areas are vital to people almost all of the time.
But they are NOT vital to an AI computer. An intelligent computer should only have to emulate the cerebral cortex, not the entire brain.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
The math: The latest intel processors use transistors that are 22nm across. The width of a hydrogen atom, ~1.1 angstrom, is about 0.11nm, or 110 picometers across. Assuming the transistor size halves every two years(which, from the looks of it, is impossible), we get this:
2016: 11 nm transistors
2018: 5.5 nm
2020: 2.75 nm
2022: 1.375 nm
2024: 687.5 pm
2026: 343.75 pm
2028: 171.875 pm
2030: 85.9375 pm
And then we're smaller than the smallest atom. However, this is not smaller than the nucleus of the hydrogen atom
Re: (Score:1)
you are halving when it's area not length - you should be multiplying by .66
that comes out to;
2016: 11nm
2018: 7.26nm
2020: 4.7916nm
2022: 3.162456nm
2024: 2.08722096nm
2026: 1.3775658336nm
2028: 909.193450176pm
2030: 600.06767711616pm
2032: 396.044666896666pm
2034: 261.389480151799pm
2036: 172.517056900188pm
2038: 113.861257554124pm
2040: 75.1484299857217pm
2042: 49.5979637905764pm
2044: 32.7346561017804pm
2046: 21.6048730271751pm
2048: 14.2592161979355pm
2050: 9.41108269063746pm
Yes this creates problems, but is made worse
Re: (Score:1)
Er, the square root of 2 is 0.707, not 0.66.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Moore's law applied to transistor count and the atomic limit only applies if you limit yourself to 2 dimensional chips.
Re: (Score:2)
Do you really believe that? Even iIf your transistor is 100 atoms high, it still can't be less than 1 atom wide or deep.
Re: (Score:1)
Here is hoping they actually keep working at it. You know what IBM are like!
All those plans for Cell, all wasted. Then Power went down the drain and one of their largest buyers (Apple) ditch them because Power was lacking compared to x86, which is just holding back everything.
This is a genuinely interesting thing, possibly the best thing they have made in the longest time in fact.
I couldn't see any reason DARPA wouldn't also be very interested in it, if it works as well as they say it does. Already it is
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3)
Yep like image recognition, and audio recognition.
Oh wait.
Computers can do logical operations better yes. Computers can't do fuzzy math, real time image recognition or real time audio recognition. Let me know when a computer can "see" with a pair of cameras. Identify an object heading toward the cpu(not just the cameras) and adjust its motors to dodge the incoming. Bugs can do that much yet computers can't.
Re: (Score:3)
Bad example (Score:2)
Let me know when a computer can "see" with a pair of cameras. Identify an object heading toward the cpu(not just the cameras) and adjust its motors to dodge the incoming.
That actually do already exist.
It's a car's collision avoidance system.
It's already standard option from some manufacturer (e.g.: Volvo) (and should become mandatory in EU somewhere soonish).
Some like Mobileye rely entirely on camera, while other are integrating other sensors in the mix, like radar, infra red lasers, etc.
But yeah I see your point: complex task require complex network, way much more than this chip.
Re: (Score:1)
Your brain has over a dozen different types of neurons with different functions and individual neurons themselves can have varying structures that can do more complex functions (like AND/OR/NEGATING within the same cell with different groupings of inputs)
Some brain Neurons have thousands of inputs from nearly that many nearby nerve cells and brains have overall layer patterns often with broad regional interconnects of different specific functions.
A million standard IBM-neuron each with 256 synapse inputs
Re: (Score:1)
"IBM has already succeeded in building a 16-chip system with sixteen million programmable neurons and four billion programmable synapses. The next step is creating a system with one trillion synapses that requires only 4kW of energy. After that IBM has plans to build a synaptic chip system with ten billion neurons and one hundred trillion synapses that consumes only one kilowatt of power and occupies less than two liters of volume."
I think the IBM roadmap is more aggressive than Moore's law, and of course g
Re: (Score:1)
Each synapse contains dozens or hundreds of individual receptors that interact with the chemicals (neurotransmitters) being released to transmit the message. Certain types of receptors, called metabotropic, set off a cascade of enzymatic reactions inside the cell that represents further, highly complex, information processing. So when calculating the number of processing units in the brain, you have to go well beyond counting synapses. It's also worth noting that some of the interactions that take place can
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
You can simulate this guy [dailymail.co.uk] by 2030 then.
So when are we having skynet? (Score:2)
Now they can replace IBM managers (Score:5, Funny)
Assuming of course this chip can hold 2 hr conference calls with 40 other chips and pound out 240 page Powerpoints.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
real dolls with minor amounts of brains could help solve the navys join the navey, feel a man problem! Ie preventing rampant homosexuality during long missions
And here we have a demonstration of an organism with 256 million synapses.
Re: (Score:3)
Walking, talking sexbots would absolutely change the world, possibly eliminate most crime, might solve the problem of overpopulation, and as theorized in the manga/anime Chobits, might force real women to have to compete for male attention.
Re: (Score:2)
HAL 9000? (Score:2, Funny)
Where are all the HAL 9000 jokes? HAL was built by IBM in "2001: A Space Odyssey", perhaps this is an example of life imitating art?
Re:HAL 9000 jokes.... (Score:2)
I'm sorry Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.
ob Heinlein (Score:2)
"Human brain has around ten-to-the-tenth neurons. By third year Mike had better than one and a half times that number of neuristors. And woke up." -- The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
A.
Pulse Pattern (Score:2)
The Genisys of Skynet! (Score:2)
As good as any other theory, I guess.
Re: (Score:2)
Software can emulate any hardware you build
And what about the performance implications of emulating my massively parallel hardware in software?
Human Brain is...complicated (Score:3, Informative)
Brains are waay more complicated than just neurons and synapses. Just taking the neurotransmitters into account makes the whole charade crash down. Then there is the glial network that, surprise surprise, does an enormous amount of complex work. There's even recent research suggesting that the branching patterns of the neurons perform complex computations. There are chemical gradients in the brain that act as a sort of addressing system.
tl;dr Brain on a chip? Yeah fucking right.