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Research to merge human brain cells with AI secures national defence funding

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Summary

Monash University has been awarded almost $600,000 AUD for research into merging human brain cells with AI, in order to create new continual learning capabilities for machine learning. The research, led by Associate Professor Adeel Razi and in collaboration with Cortical Labs, involves growing 800,000 brain cells in a dish to perform goal-directed tasks. This new technology capability may eventually surpass the performance of existing, purely silicon-based hardware, and has implications across multiple fields such as robotics, advanced automation, and drug discovery. The aim of the project is to understand the biological mechanisms behind continual lifelong learning, and develop better AI machines that replicate the learning capacity of biological neural networks.

Q&As

What is the National Intelligence and Security Discovery Research Grants Program?
The National Intelligence and Security Discovery Research Grants Program is a prestigious Australian grant body.

What is the goal of the research program led by Associate Professor Adeel Razi?
The goal of the research program led by Associate Professor Adeel Razi is to grow human brain cells onto silicon chips with new continual learning capabilities to transform machine learning.

How does the research program use lab-grown brain cells?
The research program uses lab-grown brain cells embedded onto silicon chips.

What implications does the research have for Australia?
The research has significant implications for multiple fields, such as planning, robotics, advanced automation, brain-machine interfaces, and drug discovery, giving Australia a significant strategic advantage.

What are the aims of the project to grow human brain cells in a laboratory dish?
The aims of the project to grow human brain cells in a laboratory dish are to understand the various biological mechanisms that underlie lifelong continual learning, and to develop better AI machines that replicate the learning capacity of these biological neural networks.

AI Comments

👍 This is a groundbreaking development in the field of AI and machine learning that has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with technology. It is exciting to see the National Intelligence and Security Discovery Research Grants Program recognizing the importance of this research and providing funding for it.

👎 Deeply concerning that the National Intelligence and Security Discovery Research Grants Program is funding research that could ultimately be used for military applications, particularly in terms of giving Australia a strategic advantage. This research could be used in dangerous and unethical ways.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about research to merge human brain cells with AI, which has secured national defence funding. It's quite groundbreaking and could have a lot of implications in the fields of robotics, advanced automation, brain-machine interfaces, and drug discovery.

Friend: Wow, that's really interesting. What kind of implications do you think this could have?

Me: Well, it could mean that the machines we create will be able to learn throughout their lifetime, without forgetting what they have learned before. This could be used for a variety of applications, from self-driving cars to intelligent hand-held and wearable devices. It could also help conserve limited resources, such as computing power, memory and energy.

Action items

Follow the progress of the research program and the development of the DishBrain system.
Research other projects that are merging human brain cells with AI.
Explore the implications of this research for various fields such as robotics, advanced automation, brain-machine interfaces, and drug discovery.

Technical terms

AI (Artificial Intelligence): AI is a type of computer technology that is designed to simulate human intelligence and behavior. It is used in a variety of applications, such as robotics, natural language processing, and machine learning.
Silicon Chips: Silicon chips are small pieces of semiconductor material, usually made of silicon, that are used to store and process data in computers and other electronic devices.
Machine Learning: Machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence that enables computers to learn from data without being explicitly programmed. It is used in a variety of applications, such as image recognition, natural language processing, and robotics.
Synthetic Biology: Synthetic biology is a field of science that combines biology and engineering to create new biological systems and organisms. It is used in a variety of applications, such as biotechnology, medicine, and environmental protection.
Brain-Machine Interfaces: Brain-machine interfaces are systems that allow humans to control machines or other devices with their thoughts. They are used in a variety of applications, such as prosthetics, robotics, and medical treatments.
Catastrophic Forgetting: Catastrophic forgetting is a phenomenon in which a machine learning system forgets previously learned information when it is trained on new data. It is a major limitation of current AI systems.