Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla’s Elon Musk have backed a new project to build software that thinks and learns like humans.
The project is called Vicarious, which is a four-year-old startup from San Francisco. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have invested $40 million US dollars in the company, demonstrating their strong belief in the potential of this innovative technology.
Notable Investors and Their Contributions
As well as Zuckerberg and Musk, other prominent investors in Vicarious include Paypal’s Peter Thiel, Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, and actor-turned-venture-capitalist Ashton Kutcher. These investors bring not only financial support but also a wealth of experience and networks that can help propel Vicarious to new heights. Peter Thiel, for instance, is known for his early investments in companies like Facebook and Palantir, while Dustin Moskovitz has a deep understanding of social media dynamics. Ashton Kutcher, though primarily known for his acting career, has made successful investments in tech companies such as Airbnb and Uber.
Vicarious is developing machine learning software based on the computational principles of the human brain. Our first technology is a visual perception system that interprets the contents of photographs and videos in a manner similar to humans. Powering this technology is a new computational paradigm we call the Recursive Cortical Network ™.
Technological Innovations and Applications
The software that is in development is already capable of solving things like Captcha, which is an online test used by websites to reduce spam. This is a significant milestone, as Captchas are designed to be difficult for automated systems to solve, ensuring that only humans can pass the test. The ability of Vicarious’s software to solve Captchas indicates a high level of sophistication and potential for broader applications.
Beyond Captchas, the Recursive Cortical Network™ (RCN) technology has the potential to revolutionize various industries. For example, in healthcare, it could be used to analyze medical images with a level of accuracy comparable to human doctors, thereby aiding in early diagnosis and treatment. In the automotive industry, this technology could enhance the capabilities of self-driving cars by improving their ability to recognize and interpret visual information from their surroundings.
Moreover, the visual perception system being developed by Vicarious could have significant implications for security and surveillance. By accurately interpreting video feeds, the software could identify suspicious activities or objects in real-time, thereby enhancing public safety measures.
You can find out more details about the Vicarious project over at the company’s website at the link below.
Source Vicarious, The Guardian
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