Artificial neurons that behave like real brain cells

Scientists at USC have created artificial neurons that physically replicate real brain cell behavior using silver ions in oxide materials, rather than just mathematically simulating brain activity. These "diffusive memristors" use atomic motion instead of electrons to process information, fitting within a single transistor footprint compared to older designs requiring hundreds. This breakthrough could shrink chip sizes and reduce energy consumption by orders of magnitude while advancing artificial intelligence toward human-level efficiency and learning capabilities.