AI Computer Chip ‘Smells’ Danger, Could Replace Sniffer Dogs

Computer chips using AI might put sniffer dogs out of work — at least in the area of smelling dangerous chemicals in drugs, explosives, and other substances — according to a new study published in the journal Nature.

Researchers for Cornell University and Intel produced a “neuromorphic” chip called Loihi that reportedly makes computers think like biological brains, according to Daily Mail.

The researchers created the circuit on the chip, mirroring organic circuits found in the olfactory bulbs of a dog’s brain, which is how they process their sense of smell.

The Loihi chip can identify a specific odor on the first try and even differentiate other, background smells, said Intel, according to Daily Mail.

The chip can even detect smells humans emit when sick with a disease — which varies depending on the illness — and smells linked to environmental gases and drugs.