Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

AI recreates activity patterns that brain cells use in navigation

Deep-learning algorithm spontaneously mimicked the activity of specialized neurons that tell us where we are in space.
  1. Alison Abbott
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar

Scientists have used artificial intelligence (AI) to recreate the complex neural codes that the brain uses to navigate through space. The feat demonstrates how powerful AI algorithms can assist conventional neuroscience research to test theories about the brain’s workings — but the approach is not going to put neuroscientists out of work just yet, say the researchers.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-05133-w

Read the related News & Views article: ‘AI mimics brain codes for navigation’

Updates & Corrections

  • Correction 11 May 2018: A quote from Andreas Herz was erroneously included in this story and has been removed.

References

  1. Banino, A. et al. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0102-6 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Subjects

Latest on:

Nature Careers

Jobs

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing

Search

Advanced search

Quick links