Scientists Developing “Quantum Brain” for Human-Thinking Robots

The future is now. It was but a matter of time before robots roam the land with a processing unit similar to that of a human brain, and according to researchers from Radboud University, that time could be now. In a new journal entry in Nature Nanotechnology, scientists suggest they’ve made leaps and bounds towards the creation of a “quantum brain,” a computer that could essentially function exactly like your brain. You know, the thing inside your noggin at this very moment.

To do so, professor Alexander Khajetoorians and his team found a way to “beef up” readily-available Artificial Intelligence. Instead of trying to perfect software, Khajetoorians and company decided the real processing power should instead come through hardware. Through their research, the team was able to build a network of cobalt atoms that when placed on black phosphorus, could create material able to store and process information.

Better yet, the material has shown evidence of being able to adapt itself to its changing environment.

“It is clear that we have to find new strategies to store and process information in an energy efficient way,” Khajetoorians wrote in the project.

The professor added, “When stimulating the material over a longer period of time with a certain voltage, we were very surprised to see that the synapses actually changed. The material adapted its reaction based on the external stimuli that it received. It learned by itself.”

Bert Kappen, a fellow researcher at Radbound, added the new process they’ve experimented with is much more efficient than anything previously available. “Until now, this technology, which is based on a century-old paradigm, worked sufficiently. However, in the end, it is a very energy-inefficient process,” the research said.

What’s this mean, exactly? Probably long-term, we’ll eventually see SkyNet come to life.

Jesting aside, the developments could significantly reduce the carbon footprint of current computing requirements. Say you search something on Google, or pull up Apple Maps to get from Point A to Point B. No matter what service you use, it uses a substantial amount of energy at some point throughout the process. With a “quantum brain,” robots and computers would be able to use less energy to complete tasks and, in turn, help save the world.

But again, worst case scenario — Terminator turns into a documentary.