A supercomputer capable of simulating the human brain will be built in 2024

The world’s first supercomputer capable of simulating processing networks similar to those of a human brain is expected to come into operation in 2024. Known as DeepSouth, it was developed by researchers at Western Sydney University, Australia, and represents an advance in the study of neuroscience.

When operational in 2024, DeepSouth will be capable of performing approximately 228 billion synaptic operations per second.

Progress in our understanding of how the brain processes using neurons is hampered by our inability to simulate large-scale brain-like networks. Simulating neural network spikes on standard computers using graphics processing units and multicore central processing units is very slow and energy intensive. Our system will change that.

André van Schaik, professor at Western Sydney University, Australia

According to the researchers, the tool will allow for the first time to simulate in real time the activities of a neural network with spikes the size of a human brain. This could help science better understand how the brain works.

The biggest difference compared to a normal computer is that the supercomputer is developed with chips specially designed to implement pulse neural networks. The initiative is not unprecedented, but DeepSouth is the most powerful built to date.

Another significant change is related to the low power consumption compared to other supercomputers in operation.

The Australian university’s research is not the only one under development. There are currently other projects that try to imitate the structure of a brain through “biological computers” that work with real cells.

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Source: Olhar Digital