Startup Patents 'Whole Brain' AI Approach

Among the criticisms of current artificial intelligence systems is their inability to handle more than one task such as spatial navigation or object recognition at a time. "Integrating advanced behaviors into a whole brain system for robots and drones represents the future of artificial intelligence" argues Massimiliano Versace, co-founder and CEO of Neurala Inc. The software startup with ties to NASA and the U.S. Air Force announced this week it has received a U.S. patent for its deep learning neural networks platform that, the company claims, integrates "multiple brain areas." The Boston-based startup's "whole brain" approach seeks to mimic the human brain's ability to integrate sights, sounds and other senses to make a decision. The patent award covers Neurala's method for implementing autonomous robotic control.