China's ‘Darwin Monkey' could change how AI learns and processes information

Time of India

5 days ago

China has taken a major leap in artificial intelligence research with the unveiling of the 'Darwin Monkey' – a brain-inspired computer designed to function more like a living brain than a conventional machine.
Developed by Zhejiang University, the system is the first in the world to feature over 2 billion artificial neurons, putting it in the range of a macaque's brain capacity. Researchers say it could transform how AI processes information and learns.
World's first of its kind
According to Zhejiang University and as quoted by the South China Morning Post, the Darwin Monkey runs on 960 Darwin 3 neuromorphic computing chips, together creating more than 100 billion synapses.
In a statement on its official social media page, the university described it as 'the world's first brain-like computer based on a dedicated neuromorphic chip with more than 2 billion neurons.'
According to the report by the South China Morning Post, the system has already been deployed for complex tasks including mathematics, logical reasoning, and content generation, in collaboration with Chinese AI company DeepSeek, which provided the brain-like large model it runs on.
Bridging AI and neuroscience
According to the report, researchers say the Darwin Monkey's vast neuron and synapse resources could be used to simulate the brains of animals such as macaques, mice, and zebrafish. Zhejiang University noted that this capability could significantly advance brain science research by allowing scientists to study neural processes more accurately.
How the technology works
As per the report, neuromorphic computing– also called brain-inspired computing– processes data through artificial neurons and synapses, mimicking how the human brain works.
Unlike conventional AI systems, which use continuous numerical values, the Darwin Monkey relies on spiking neural networks that send information in discrete pulses, more closely mirroring biological neurons.
According to the report, the Darwin 3 chip at the heart of the system was developed in 2023 by Zhejiang University in partnership with Zhejiang Lab. Each chip supports over 2.35 million pulsed neurons and hundreds of millions of synapses, and features 'specialised brain-inspired computing instruction sets and neuromorphic online learning mechanisms,' according to the university.
High scale, low power
According to the South China Morning Post, despite its complexity, the system is designed to be energy-efficient, consuming around 2,000 watts under normal operating conditions. Pan Gang, director of the State Key Laboratory of Brain-Computer Intelligence at Zhejiang University, told Science and Technology Daily that its 'large-scale, high parallelism and low-power features will provide a new computing paradigm for existing computing scenarios.
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From mouse to monkey
As per the report, the Darwin Monkey builds on previous work by the same team, which in 2020 introduced the 'Darwin Mouse,' a brain-like computer with 120 million artificial neurons. Zhejiang University said the new system is the result of progress in neural system integration, interconnection technology, and the creation of a new generation of brain-inspired operating systems.
Thumb image: China Science/X