Intel Developing an AI Chip That Acts Like a Human Brain
Intel is aiming to develop semiconductors that mimic the way human brains work, announcing a new product dubbed Pohoiki Beach.
The neuromorphic chip processes data similar to how a human brain does, overcoming the challenges plaguing the first generation of artificial intelligence chips. With this product, Intel is extending AI into the areas that work similar to human cognition including interpretation and autonomous adaptation.
Intel's Betting Next-Generation Chip Will Take AI to New Level
"This is critical to overcoming the so-called 'brittleness' of AI solutions based on neural network training and inference, which depend on literal, deterministic views of events that lack context and commonsense understanding," Intel wrote in a research report. "Next-generation AI must be able to address novel situations and abstraction to automate ordinary human activities."
Intel pointed to self-driving vehicles as one example where this new AI chip would be necessary. As it stands, the semiconductors used in autonomous cars can navigate along a GPS route and control the speed of the vehicle. The AI chips enable the vehicle to recognize and respond to their surroundings and avoid crashes with say a pedestrian.
But in order to advance self-driving cars, the systems need to add the experiences that humans gain when driving such as how to deal with an aggressive driver or stop when a ball flies out into the street. "The decision making in such scenarios depends on the perception and understanding of the environment to predict future events in order to decide on the correct course of action. The perception and understanding tasks need to be aware of the uncertainty inherent in such tasks," researchers at Intel wrote.
New Chip Approach Will Speed Up Processing Times for AI Workloads
According to the Santa Clara, California semiconductor marker, with this new approach to computer processing, its new chips can work as much as 1,000 times faster and 10,000 times more efficiently when compared to the current central processing units or CPUs for artificial intelligence workloads. The Pohoiki Beach chip is made up of 64 smaller chips known as Loihi which when combined can act as if it is 8.3 million neurons, which according to one report is the same as the brain of small rodent. A human brain has nearly 100 billion neurons.
Intel said the new chip can be particularly useful in the processing for image recognition, autonomous vehicles, and robots that are automated. The chip is free for developers focused on neuromorphic, including its more than sixty partners in the community. The aim is to commercialize the technology down the road.
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