Tech giant IBM has announced that it has developed a prototype, ‘brain-like’ semiconductor that could be used to make AI more energy efficient.
The prototype could lead to more energy-efficient AI following concerns surrounding emissions
from warehouses packed with computers that are used to power AI systems.
The
prototype semiconductor works by using its components in a similar way to connections
in the human brain, using analogue memory resistors (memristors) that can store a
range of numbers, unlike most digital chips which store information as 0s and
1s. These kinds of memristors could ‘remember’ their electric history in a similar
way to synapses in a living person.
Cloud providers could use these naturally-inspired
chips to reduce energy costs and carbon footprints, however it remains unclear as
to when a commercially-viable chip of this design will be available.
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