Darwin Monkey: Artificial Brain with Billions of Synapses and Neuronal Impulses

Developed by the National Strategic Brain Intelligence Laboratory at Zhejiang University in eastern China, Darwin Monkey integrates 960 Darwin 3 chips, i.e. state-of-the-art neural processing units independently designed by the Chinese team. These chips are capable of supporting a complex network of over 2 billion neural impulses and over 100 billion synapses, the approximate equivalent of a biological primate brain structure, reports Xinhua.

• Biological Simulation and Multimodal Learning

In addition to the ability to process information similar to the brain, Darwin Monkey combines vision, hearing, language and learning into the same integrated system. It is the world's first neuromorphic supercomputer to achieve this combination, with a power consumption of only 2,000 watts, which makes it remarkable in terms of efficiency.

The system has been successfully tested in multiple artificial intelligence applications. Among them is the DeepSeek model, a large-scale language model used for logical reasoning, content generation, and mathematical problem-solving tasks.

• A platform for neuroscience research

According to the Chinese team, Darwin Monkey is not just a supercomputer - it is a digital laboratory of the brain. It can simulate, in a preliminary setting, the neural activity of very different organisms from the animal kingdom: from nematode worms, to zebrafish, mice, and even macaques. This versatility makes the system a promising platform for comparative neuroscience studies, offering an alternative to expensive and ethically questionable biological experiments. The ability to recreate the structure and functioning of diverse animal brains could help decipher how cognitive processes emerge - from simple reflexes to consciousness and language.

• Global competition in artificial brain intelligence

The launch of Darwin Monkey comes at a time when major technological powers are investing heavily in architectures inspired by the human brain. The US, the European Union and Japan have been developing similar systems for years under the "Human Brain Project” or "BRAIN Initiative”. However, the Chinese project seems to have crossed a critical threshold: the functional integration of multiple cognitive channels into a single architecture, using exclusively locally developed technologies. This aspect is not without strategic significance, in a global context in which technological sovereignty is becoming increasingly important.

• A step towards artificial consciousness?

While researchers present Darwin Monkey as a tool for science, philosophical and ethical questions are already emerging: can a system that imitates the brain of a complex animal manifest primitive forms of consciousness? Is digital simulation equivalent to biological experience? For now, the answers are uncertain. But if Darwin Monkey continues to evolve at the promised pace, the coming decades could bring not just smarter computers - but also artificial entities capable of autonomous thought, in the biological sense of the term.