Keynote
Why Can’t a Computer Be More Like a Brain? How a New Theory of Neocortex Will Lead to Truly Intelligent Machines
Jeff Hawkins
Date: Tuesday, March 27
Time: 11:35am
- 12:20pm
Location: Douglas BC
Coaxing computers to perform basic acts of perception and robotics, let alone high-level thought, has been difficult. No existing computer can recognize pictures, understand language, or swiftly navigate through a cluttered room. Following nature’s example, Hawkins has developed an understanding of how the neocortex performs these and other tasks. The theory, called Hierarchical Temporal Memory or HTM, explains how the hierarchical structure of the neocortex builds a model of its world and uses this model for inference and prediction. To turn this theory into a useful technology, Hawkins and his colleagues have created a company called Numenta.
In this talk, Hawkins will describe the theory, its biological basis, and introduce a new software platform created by Numenta that allows anyone to apply this theory to a variety of problems. A separate breakout session will go into detail on how to use Numenta’s HTM platform.