Artificial neurons mimic complex brain abilities for next-generation AI computing

However, a key challenge to replicating the complex processes of biological neurons and brains using memristors has been the difficulty in integrating both feedforward and feedback neuronal signals. A team of researchers at the University of Oxford, IBM Research Europe, and the University of Texas, have announced an important feat: the development of atomically thin artificial neurons created by stacking two-dimensional (2D) materials. 2D materials are made up of just a few layers of atoms, and this fine scale gives them various exotic properties, which can be fine-tuned depending on how the materials are layered. Unlike digital storage devices, these devices are analog and operate similarly to the synapses and neurons in our biological brain. Our study has introduced a novel concept that surpasses the fixed feedforward operation typically utilised in current artificial neural networks.