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IBM Creates Brain Chip

Mimics architecture of brain.

A new computer chip from IBM that mimics brain architecture uses no more energy than a hearing aid and could represent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence that have long stumped scientists. The chip tries to learn the way the brain does by recognizing patterns, like types of light for instance, to pick out things computers haven't been able to do. For instance, the processor might be able to determine what a person is doing in a video, as computers currently have issues interpreting images. For comparison, the Intel processors found in computers today have 1.4 billion transistors and can use up to 140 watts of power. The new IBM chip has 5.4 billion transistors, and only draws up to 70 milliwatts.