Why You Shouldn’t Upload Your Brain To A Computer | Polina Anikeeva | TEDxCambridgeSalon

Machines outperform humans in calculations. So why is a robot startled by a task of folding a wrinkled sock? Neural engineer Polina Anikeeva, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, describes how differences in natural “brain hardware“ and solid-state electronics lead to differences between human and artificial intelligence, and what challenges and opportunities stem from those differences. Prof. Polina Anikeeva joined DMSE in 2011. Dr. Anikeeva’s Ph.D. thesis focussed on physical properties and design of light emitting devices based on organic materials and nanoparticles, working under the supervision of Prof. Vladimir Bulovic in EECS. She previously held the Dean’s Postdoctoral Fellowship, School of Medicine, Stanford and was in the group of Prof. Karl Deisseroth in the Department of Bioengineering. Her current research is focused on development of optoelectronic and magnetic materials and devices for recording and modulating activity of neurons in the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral organs. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at