Press release -
Artificial intelligence is becoming sustainable! The Politecnico di Milano develops a new generation of computing accelerators
Milan, February 12, 2020 - A research group from Politecnico di Milano has developed a new computing circuit that can execute advanced operations, typical of neural networks for artificial intelligence, in one single operation.
The circuit performance in terms of speed and energy consumption paves the way for a new generation of artificial intelligence computing accelerators that are more energy efficient and more sustainable on a global scale. The study has been recently published in the prestigious Science Advances.
Recognizing a face or an object, or correctly interpreting a word or a musical tune are operations that are today possible on the most common electronic gadgets, such as smartphones and tablets, thanks to artificial intelligence. For this to happen, complicated neural networks needs to be appropriately trained, which is so energetically demanding that, according to some studies, the carbon footprint that derives from the training of a complex neural network can equal the emission of 5 cars throughout their whole life cycle.
To reduce the time and energy consumption of the training, one should develop circuits that are radically different from the conventional approach and that are able to mimic more accurately the structure of the neural networks and the characteristics of the biological synapses. A typical example is the concept of in-memory computing, where data are processed directly within the memory, exactly like in the human brain.
Based on this analogy, the research group at Politecnico di Milano have developed a novel circuit that can execute a mathematical function known as regression in just one operation. For this purpose they use a resistive memory, also known as memristor, a device that can memorize any datum (for example the value of a share at a certain time) in the value of its resistance. By arranging these memory elements within an array with the size of a few micrometer (a few millionths of a meter), the group at Politecnico di Milano has been able to execute a linear regression on a group of data. This operation is capable of determining the straight line that best describes a sequence of data, allowing, for instance, to predict the trend in the stock market based on a simple linear model. Logistical regression, that allows to classify data within a database, has also been demonstrated. This function is essential for the so-called recommendation systems, that are a crucial marketing tools for online purchases.
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Politecnico di Milano is a scientific-technological university which trains engineers, architects and industrial designers.
The University has always focused on the quality and innovation of its teaching and research, developing a fruitful relationship with business and productive world by means of experimental research and technological transfer.
Research has always been linked to didactics and it is a priority commitment which has allowed Politecnico Milano to achieve high quality results at an international level as to join the university to the business world. Research constitutes a parallel path to that formed by cooperation and alliances with the industrial system.
Knowing the world in which you are going to work is a vital requirement for training students. By referring back to the needs of the industrial world and public administration, research is facilitated in following new paths and dealing with the need for constant and rapid innovation. The alliance with the industrial world, in many cases favored by Fondazione Politecnico and by consortiums to which Politecnico belong, allows the university to follow the vocation of the territories in which it operates and to be a stimulus for their development.
The challenge which is being met today projects this tradition which is strongly rooted in the territory beyond the borders of the country, in a relationship which is developing first of all at the European level with the objective of contributing to the creation of a single professional training market. Politecnico takes part in several research, sites and training projects collaborating with the most qualified European universities. Politecnico's contribution is increasingly being extended to other countries: from North America to Southeast Asia to Eastern Europe. Today the drive to internationalization sees Politecnico Milano taking part into the European and world network of leading technical universities and it offers several courses beside many which are entirely taught in English.
