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Tokyo-based investment giant Softbank wants to combine cells created from humans, which mimic brain cells, with traditional technology in an effort to create next generation artificial intelligence (AI). Research is already underway, and a roadmap for development puts 2050 as the start of practical application.  Regional media from Japan reports that investment and holdings powerhouse Softbank is looking to combine cultured cell tissue with artificial intelligence to create “next generation” AI capabilities and save on energy consumption. The story, which sounds like something out of a sci-fi thriller, details that the Softbank Research Institute of Advanced Technology is working with The University of Tokyo to “use brain tissue cultured from iPS cells to directly incorporate the energy-saving and flexible learning ability of the human brain into computing.” Whether this is something credible (if highly controversial) or just a clever way to spend grant money while creating a buzz, is really anyone’s guess. But with the focused, global push from politicians and technocratic corporations for integrating AI into everyday life, and the extreme push to implement AI governance in Japan, the development is noteworthy. Softbank’s vision for BPU (Brain Processing Units) The Friday morning (JST) Toyokeizai write-up explains that while large-scale AI operations currently use a lot of power for computation, the human brain typically requires only about 20 watts for everyday thinking and integration of new data. “We aim to realize it as a new accelerator that coexists with conventional CPUs, GPUs, and quantum computers,” Softbank researcher Sota Sugimura is quoted as saying. But, where do the cells come from? The so-called “brain cells” are created via iPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells). Project researchers have created what they call “brain organoids” from these cells, which are spherical in shape and measure about o.5 – 1 centimeter in size, containing…

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Filed under: News - @ January 24, 2025 1:20 am