Engineers at the University of Massachusetts created the first artificial neurons capable of communicating directly with living cells, marking a significant milestone. The achievement brings research closer to developing computing systems that mirror the biological principles of the human brain and potentially integrate with the human body. The artificial neurones were created to mimic the electrical functions of natural neurones, making them the most similar to biological ones so far.

The researchers had previously worked on protein nanowires synthesised from bacteria that generate electricity, and this expertise has now been used to build artificial neurones. According to Shuai Fu, the main author of the study published in Nature Communications, the human brain processes massive volumes of data with remarkably little energy when compared to advanced artificial intelligence models. While a huge language model may demand more than a megawatt of electricity to perform a task like writing, the brain only needs about 20 watts to accomplish the same thing.

Senior scientist Jun Yao explained that earlier artificially made neurones required substantially more power and voltage to function, whereas the new models run at 0.1 volts, which is similar to the human body.