Engineers have mimicked the human brain with an electronic chip that uses light to create and modify memories.

Optogenetics allows scientists to delve into the body’s electrical system with incredible precision, using light to manipulate neurons so that they can be turned on or off.

The new chip is based on an ultra-thin material that changes electrical resistance in response to different wavelengths of light, enabling it to mimic the way that neurons work to store and delete information in the brain.

Research team leader Dr Sumeet Walia said the technology moves us closer towards artificial intelligence (AI) that can harness the brain’s full sophisticated functionality.

«Our optogenetically-inspired chip imitates the fundamental biology of nature’s best computer — the human brain,» Walia said.

«Being able to store, delete and process information is critical for computing, and the brain does this extremely efficiently.

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Materials provided by RMIT University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.