AI Isn't Smarter Than a Baby--Yet

Babies are tremendous learning machines, and key advances for AI may soon be found in the architecture of their little brains. If you think an artificial intelligence model running on thousands of cutting-edge computer chips is smart, allow me to introduce you to the concept of a 1-year-old. OK, so babies might not be able to write computer programs, solve advanced math problems, or debate philosophical ideas. But unlike today's AI models, which consume an ocean's worth of training data and as much energy as a small country, babies learn to make sense of the world with amazing efficiency. They identify new objects after seeing them once or twice, and they learn through fleeting observation and physical interaction. When it comes to improving AI, babies--and the architecture of their brains--might hold crucial insights.