AI SCIENCE
The brain is less linear than we thought
Scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have found that decision-making may begin earlier in the brain than previously thought.
The study challenges the idea that sensory information simply moves through the brain until it reaches the frontal cortex, where decisions are made.
Instead, researchers found decision-related activity in S1, one of the brain’s earliest sensory regions.
The findings suggest that different parts of the brain may communicate through feedback loops while a decision is being formed.
What to know:
Decision-making may begin in early sensory regions.
The brain appears to use two-way feedback loops.
The findings could inspire more energy-efficient AI.
A loop, not a ladder
The team recorded brain activity in mice as they moved through a virtual reality corridor and made choices based on what they sensed.
Researchers believe this could help shape future AI systems.
The brain handles complex tasks using far less energy than today’s AI, so copying parts of its structure could lead to more efficient technology.
However, the research is still at an early stage and does not provide a direct blueprint for building new AI models.
Brains are complex. Who’da thought it? - MV