IBM reveals 'neurosynaptic' chip that can replicate neurons

It is the nearest thing to a human brain in silicon form. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and IBM have revealed a new deep learning supercomputer they say could boost AI systems. Based on a'neurosynaptic' computer chip called IBM TrueNorth, it can replicate the equivalent of 16 million neurons and 4 billion synapses - yet consumes just 2.5 watts, the energy equivalent of a hearing aid battery. TrueNorth can replicate the equivalent of 16 million neurons and 4 billion synapses - yet consumes just 2.5 watts, the energy equivalent of a hearing aid battery. A single TrueNorth processor consists of 5.4 billion transistors wired together to create an array of 1 million digital neurons that communicate with one another via 256 million electrical synapses.