The artificial neuron

McCulloch and Pitts describe a brain neuron as a simple mathematical switch: it either fires or it does not. Their abstraction is an ancestor of today’s artificial neural networks.

Why it is in the museum

Here the basic questions of modern AI take shape: how can thought be described, how can a machine learn, and what does it mean for a machine to hold a convincing conversation?

What supports this exhibit

Primary scientific paper

A mathematical model of neurons as logical units.

Main source: McCulloch, W. & Pitts, W. (1943), Bulletin of Mathematical Biophysics.

Open the source

What to keep in mind: Primary scientific source.

Ask the exhibit

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