• Press Release

Human Brain Project: Study presents large brain-like neural networks for AI

08 May 2023

In a new study in Nature Machine Intelligence*, researchers Bojian Yin and Sander Bohté from the HBP partner Dutch National Research Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science (CWI) demonstrate a significant step towards artificial intelligence that can be used in local devices like smartphones and in VR-like applications, while protecting privacy. They show how brain-like neurons combined with novel learning methods enable training fast and energy-efficient spiking neural networks on a large scale. Potential applications range from wearable AI to speech recognition and Augmented Reality.

  • News

Implementing Responsible Research and Innovation in the Human Brain Project

26 April 2023

Attention to ethical and societal issues have been an important and integral part of the Human Brain Project. From the very beginning in 2013 until today. Over the years, researchers from the social sciences and the humanities have developed governance structures and mechanisms to integrate responsible research and innovation (RRI) practices across the project. But RRI and ethical and philosophical reflection has also been an important part of the research in the Human Brain Project. Where the ethics & society team has contributed with conceptual and empirical methods to identify, reflect, and manage the ethical and social issues raised by …

  • Paper Digest

First systematic review of Artificial Intelligence impact assessments

18 April 2023

Impact assessments can help identify both positive and negative impacts at an early stage of development. It is very likely that this will become an integral part of structures designed address the ethical and social issues. The first ever systematic review of AI impact assessment was just published in Artificial Intelligence Review, providing the basis for the next step for actors who want to ensure that impact assessments are fit-for-purpose. The authors also develop a generic model that can help guide their decision.

  • Paper Digest

Time to rethink the AI ethics narrative

13 April 2023

Artificial intelligence is challenging frameworks for both ethics and human rights and becoming a hot topic for both societal and scientific debate. AI is also placed at the top of the agenda for research and innovation policy makers. A recent publication in Technological Forecasting and Social Change presents the results from a Delphi study, inviting 231 AI experts to share their views.

  • Paper Digest

New whitepaper on Fenix Research Infrastructure presents lessons learned in ICEI

31 March 2023

The Interactive Computing E-Infrastructure for the Human Brain Project (ICEI), a “sister project” of the HBP that is building an initial version of the Fenix Infrastructure under the umbrella of the HBP, has launched the whitepaper “Fenix e-infrastructure service provisioning – lessons learned”. Addressed to e-infrastructure service providers or similar initiatives, it summarises current Fenix services, statistics on Fenix user communities and includes their feedback and lessons learned.