AI ‘CyberOctopus’ Mimics Animal-Like Learning, Navigating New Environments and Overcoming Obstacles

Researchers Ekaterina Gribkova and Rhanor Gillette from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system, named "CyberOctopus", that can navigate new environments, seek rewards, and learn in real time. The AI was designed based on the neural pathways of sea slugs and octopuses, and is capable of expanding its spatial and temporal awareness. The system is more efficient than traditional AI, as it can perform basic functions without extensive pre-training. The researchers believe this approach could be used to create more advanced AI systems capable of tasks beyond spatial navigation.