A prototype “brain-like” chip could make artificial intelligence (AI) more energy efficient, its developer, technology giant IBM, has said.
Concerns have been raised about emissions associated with warehouses full of computers powering AI systems.
IBM said its prototype could lead to more efficient, less battery draining AI chips for smartphones.
Its efficiency is down to components that work in a similar way to connections in human brains, it said.
Compared to traditional computers, “the human brain is able to achieve remarkable performance while consuming little power”, said scientist Thanos Vasilopoulos, based at IBM’s research lab in Zurich, Switzerland.
He told the BBC the superior energy efficiency would mean “large and more complex workloads could be executed in low power or battery-constrained environments”, for example, cars, mobile phones and cameras.
“Additionally, cloud providers will be able to use these chips to reduce energy costs and their carbon footprint,” he added.
