With advances in artificial intelligence and neuromorphic engineering, many things are now possible. One of the recent creations is an electronic circuit based on the cerebral cortex. This was done by a team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Lucent Technologies" Bell Labs in June, 2000. .
Before we begin, we must first have a look at how artificial intelligence works. So what exactly is artificial intelligence? Artificial intelligence is the ability of a machine to perform functions that characterizes human thought ("Artificial Intelligence", 1999). According to Robert (1990), this is accomplished by studying human thought processes and designing computers that follow these same processes. What makes artificial intelligence superior to regular programs is that it is able to absorb new information without changing the old information (Robert, 1990). This means that it is capable of more complex tasks than straightforward computing ("Artificial Intelligence", 1999).
The second thing we must discuss before we begin is how the human brain functions. According to Greenfield (1997), the human brain is a chemical system with different chemicals, different inputs, different receptors and different amounts of transmitters released which creates an enormous flexibility and versatility. Neurons are nerve cells within the brain that transfer signals by producing nerve impulses ("Neurophysiology", 1999). Nerve signals are processed electrically within a neuron and chemically from one neuron to another ("Neurophysiology", 1999). According to Novitt-Moreno (1995), when tightly packed, these neurons are what grey matter consists of. The cerebral cortex is made of grey matter (Novitt-Moreno, 1995). According to Greenfield (1997), the cerebral cortex is the outer layer of the brain which houses rational thought processes and is the most sophisticated compared to other species.
