An AI used art to control monkeys’ brain cells
Such tailored regulation of neural activity could lead to new types of neuroscience experiments
New artwork created by artificial intelligence does weird things to the primate brain.
When shown to macaques, AI-generated images purposefully caused nerve cells in the monkeys’ brains to fire more than pictures of real-world objects. The AI could also design patterns that activated specific neurons while suppressing others, researchers report in the May 3 Science.
This unprecedented control over neural activity using images may lead to new kinds of neuroscience experiments or treatments for mental disorders. The AI’s ability to play the primate brain like a fiddle also offers insight into how closely AIs can emulate brain function.