Artificial intelligence (AI) and its corresponding technology all hinge on our human understanding of what intelligence is. One thing that we, however obvious, know for sure is that intelligence is linked to the brain. Whether it is dictated fully by cortical folding or any number of variables continues to be up for discussion. And so, while there are many ways to display and exhibit intelligence, a main goal of developing AI tech is to mimic human brain functionality. It's been an implied backbone to the entire field.

From early on, we're taught that intelligence is inextricably tied to the brain. Brainpower is an informal synonym for intelligence -- and by extension, any discussion of aptitude and acumen uses the brain as a metaphor. Naturally, when technology progressed to the point where humans decided they wanted to replicate human intelligence in machines, the goal was to essentially emulate the brain in an artificial capacity. What if all this talk about creating "neural networks" and robotic brains is actually a misguided approach? What if, when it comes to advancing A.I., we ditched the metaphor of the brain in favor of something much smaller: the cell?

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its corresponding technology all hinge on our human understanding of what intelligence is. One thing that we, however obvious, know for sure is that intelligence is linked to the brain. Whether it is dictated fully by cortical folding or any number of variables continues to be up for discussion. And so, while there are many ways to display and exhibit intelligence, a main goal of developing AI tech is to mimic human brain functionality. It's been an implied backbone to the entire field.

From early on, we're taught that intelligence is inextricably tied to the brain. Brainpower is an informal synonym for intelligence -- and by extension, any discussion of aptitude and acumen uses the brain as a metaphor. Naturally, when technology progressed to the point where humans decided they wanted to replicate human intelligence in machines, the goal was to essentially emulate the brain in an artificial capacity. What if all this talk about creating "neural networks" and robotic brains is actually a misguided approach? What if, when it comes to advancing A.I., we ditched the metaphor of the brain in favor of something much smaller: the cell?

Microsoft has officially acquired the makers of predictive keyboard mobile app SwiftKey. The London-based start-up behind the app has been brought into the Microsoft fold in a deal worth an estimated $250 million (£174m). Microsoft is believed to have a keen interest in the firm's artificial intelligence research, including its recently launched Neural Alpha app, which could make its Cortana assistant more accurate. The London-based start-up behind the SwiftKey predictive keyboard app (pictured) has been bought by Microsoft in a deal worth $250 million (£174m). The app is available in over 100 languages, including Arabic, Russian, Thai and Afrikaans, and predicts text as it learns from the user's swipes and key strokes SwiftKey was started by Cambridge graduates in 2008, launching its predictive auto-correcting keyboard app on Android in 2010 and iOS in 2014.