Korea to Develop Artificial Intelligence ‘Digital Brain’
By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff Reporter
The government will pork out big dollars to develop an artificial intelligence which it calls ``digital brain'' over the next several years. The Ministry of Science and Technology unveiled the scheme on Sunday while announcing its budget on brain-related sectors for 2007.
``We will try to lay the groundwork this year to create a prototype of a digital brain after securing knowledge on how the human brain deals with information,'' said Lee Seok-lae, director at the ministry.
``We think the digital brain will be able to act as an office secretary after going through training sessions,'' Lee said. ``We also plan to work on an integrated system to do so.''
Lee said the source technologies obtained via the research of the digital brain would help the country remain competitive in the global competition on understanding the brain.
Indeed, advanced nations such as the United States, Japan and China have staged an uphill battle in studying the human brain and creating artificial ones.
Over the long haul, the brain is expected to become the foremost target of research with so much of it still being misunderstood despite seamless effort.
In this climate, Korea is poised to channel 49.2 billion won in brain-associated research for this year alone including projects on the digital brain.
In addition, the country looks to establish a brain research center in the future, which will spearhead the potential-laden studies on cerebral activities.
``Currently, experts are checking the viability of a brain research center. We will decide on the state-backed lab later this year,'' Lee said.
``Should we make a positive decision, the brain center will be set up in about four years and will lead related research in collaboration with private institutes,'' he said.