Artificial intelligence may work better when given regular rests

Artificial intelligence systems modeled after human neural networks may operate better when given regular rest periods that mimic the effects of sleep on humans. That was the conclusion researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico reached after studying the performance of an AI designed to replicate neural networks in the human brain. A team of computer scientists led by Yijing Watkins designed an AI they hoped would be capable of teaching itself how to accurately classify different types of objects without access to any pre-existing database of classification system. They used what's called a spiking neural network, a system that mimics the way neurons in the brain fire at different times and in different intensities based on the kinds of stimulation they're receiving. The system was ideal for the test because, according to Watkins, it's'analogous to how humans and other biological systems learn from their environment during childhood development.'