IBM have created a new microchip design which could be a major move towards ‘cognitive computing', meaning that machines could perform human like functions, even learning and adapting. A report today from the Telegraph shows that IBM are pushing the technology forward.

The new chip design could also mean faster computers which take up less space, according to IBM. They say that the work aims “to create a system that not only analyzes complex information from multiple sensory modalities at once but also dynamically rewires itself as it interacts with its environment – all while rivalling the brain's compact size and low-power usage”.

Dharmendra Modha, the leader of the SyNAPSE project said “Imagine traffic lights that can integrate sights, sounds and smells and flag unsafe intersections before disaster happens or imagine cognitive co-processors that turn servers, laptops, tablets, and phones into machines that can interact better with their environments.”

Computer scientists have always been fascinated with the human brain as it can process data from various sources simultaneously without a problem. General computer systems today struggle as data from multiple sources is fed into the architecture.

Kitguru says: Imagine having a computer that could learn and adapt. Skynet anyone?

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