The way computers work will change! IISc’s ‘chip in the brain’ technology will give more speed to AI

New Delhi: Indian scientists have created a special chip that works like a brain, which can revolutionize Artificial Intelligence (AI). This chip can store and process data in 16,500 ways in a special kind of film, which was not possible till date. This discovery has been made by scientists of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore and it has been published in a famous science journal named ‘Nature’. The team of scientists who made this chip was led by Sritosh Goswami. The team also included Navkant Bhat, Deepak Sharma, Santi Prasad Rath, Vidyabhushan Kundu and Sribrata Goswami. All this work was done at the Center for Nano Science and Engineering of IISc. In this project, scientists from Texas A&M University and University of Limerick, Ireland also helped in simulation and modeling.

Brain-mimicking technology

This new technology can completely change the way our computers work. This is called ‘neuromorphic computing’ which imitates the brain. Today’s computers only work according to programming, but this chip can learn from its surrounding environment, just like our brain does. Sritosh Goswami said, ‘Neuromorphic computing was facing many challenges for the last decade. With this discovery, we have created an almost perfect system – this is a rare achievement.’

What two big problems will AI solve?

This discovery can revolutionize the field of AI. This can make it possible to run Large Language Models (LLM) like Chat GPT on common devices like laptops and smartphones. This technology solves two major problems of AI – lack of hardware and high power consumption. This chip has been designed by Professor Sribrata Goswami. This chip uses the movement of ions to store and process data, just like our brain does. It is a kind of molecular diary that works like a computer, but consumes much less power and occupies much less space. To demonstrate the potential of this technology, the team recreated the picture of the ‘Pillars of Creation’ taken by the James Webb Telescope. They did this work with the help of an ordinary computer, which took much less time and energy than a traditional computer.

‘This technology could be a game changer’

Professor Navkant Bhat said, “In the context of the India Semiconductor Mission, this development can prove to be a game-changer, which can revolutionize industrial, consumer and strategic applications. India is now ready to play a leadership role globally.” In collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the IISc team is now focusing on developing an integrated neuromorphic chip. Goswami said, “This is a completely indigenous effort, from materials to circuits and systems. With the right funding, we are on the way to convert this technology into a system-on-a-chip.” The researchers believe that this success can make India a leader in global technology innovation, especially in AI hardware development.