India's AI revolution and neuromorphic computing: Will brain power lead to solutions for the future?

INDC Network : Science : Adopting AI and its accompanying technologies has become crucial for India to achieve its goal of becoming a developed and self-reliant India by 2047. The global market opportunity of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is estimated between $3.5 and $5.8 trillion, which could take economies to new heights in the coming decades. This economic potential reflects a time when AI will not only improve efficiency but also has the potential to transform manufacturing, education, healthcare and other industries at a large scale.

While the current success of AI is unprecedented, it comes with a major challenge: excessive energy consumption and expensive training processes. Brainard Prince, director of the Center for Thinking, Language and Communication at Plaksha University, explains that if there is no new revolution, by 2035 the level of energy required for AI may increase so much that it may even overtake global energy production. This will not only increase the economic burden but can also cause an environmental crisis.

Addressing these challenges requires advances in computing hardware that are more energy-efficient. This requires a change from the traditional von Neumann architecture, in which computation and memory are kept separate. The von Neumann design has now become a major hurdle for the computation-heavy tasks of AI. It leads to a significant increase in energy consumption and slows down the speed of work.

To address this, scientists and researchers have turned to brain-inspired computing. Our brain, which consumes a mere 20 watts of energy, is capable of processing and storing billions of calculations in one place. Such a system is called neuromorphic computing, which not only promises to improve energy efficiency, but is also designed to work faster and with fewer resources, like the human brain.

The idea of ​​neuromorphic computing began in the 1980s, when American engineer Carver Mead began working on the concept of building a computer using a brain-like structure. Later in the 2010s, big companies like Intel and IBM also started showing interest in this technology. They tried to mimic the brain through their traditional binary transistors and software-driven systems. Although this brute-force approach was not completely successful, it inspired the development of new hardware based on neuromorphic technology, which will completely simulate the functioning of the brain.

This opportunity is important for India. By developing a strong infrastructure for research and development in AI and neuromorphic computing, India can become a leader in this field. Apart from this, it can also address issues related to data privacy and security. This technology can put India's IT and research industries in a strong position internationally.

Thus, in the coming years, a new revolution is likely in the development of AI through neuromorphic computing. On one hand, it will solve the problems of energy consumption, on the other hand, it will make the country globally competitive.