We have already witnessed functions that are similar to a brain being performed by computer chips. However, having these chips perform the tasks that are brain-like is taking things to the next level. A research team at UC Santa Barbara has come up with a circuit that is capable of carrying out brain-like tasks. It is a basic, 100-synapse neural circuit that is capable of performing a conventional human task related to image classification.
This is the first time this feat has been achieved, the memristor-based tech successfully managed to ascertain letters despite the visual noise that was being fed. This noise basically created complications for the task, just like how you are able to identify your friend in a crowd. Can the traditional computers do this? Yes, they can but they will require a more power consuming chip in order to recreate the similar pseudo-organic behavior.
Scientists are quite hopeful that this would prove to be the foundation on which further work can be completed so that one day we can have computers that are truly neural computers. Work is also being done upon a memristor network pairing with a conventional processor to carry out more complex and sophisticated tasks. Fingers crossed for an amazing future!