China’s ‘Monkey Brain’ Supercomputer: Genius or Gimmick?
On November 19, 2025, Popular Mechanics published an article by science and technology reporter Tanya Basu, a respected journalist whose work also appears in MIT Technology Review and The Atlantic. Basu reported on a striking new machine developed in China called Darwin Monkey, or “Wukong,” a supercomputer that is claimed to be modeled on the brain of a macaque (a type of monkey often studied for its intelligence and similarities to humans in brain structure and behavior). The report explained both the ambition behind the project and the caution required in interpreting its claims.
According to Basu, the Darwin Monkey system contains over two billion artificial neurons and more than 100 billion synapse-like connections, numbers approaching the scale of a real macaque brain. These artificial neurons communicate through quick electrical pulses called “spikes,” mimicking the way biological neurons fire signals. Built with hundreds of custom neuromorphic chips, the system runs on about 2,000 watts, far less than a traditional supercomputer of similar size, which often requires millions of watts. Basu emphasizes that the system mimics the structure of a brain rather than hosting a living brain, meaning it does not think, feel, or experience like a real animal brain.
The potential of such a machine is significant. By simulating large networks of neurons, scientists could study brain processes without using live animals, potentially advancing research in memory, learning, and neurological diseases. The energy efficiency of neuromorphic designs also suggests a path toward greener artificial intelligence, allowing robots, mobile devices, and other AI systems to operate without consuming massive power. This approach represents a new direction in computing, where machines are designed not just to calculate quickly, but to process information in ways inspired by life itself.
Yet caution is necessary. While the system is brain-like in structure, true cognition involves far more than the number of neurons and connections. Real brains rely on sensory feedback, complex biochemical processes, and embodied experience, none of which a silicon-based machine can replicate. Additionally, practical applications are still limited. Software capable of fully utilizing neuromorphic hardware is under development, and current demonstrations, such as problem-solving and pattern recognition, remain narrow compared to the versatility of a living brain. Overselling the system as a step toward conscious machines risks misunderstanding both the science and its limitations.
China’s Darwin Monkey supercomputer highlights the promise of neuromorphic computing: machines that borrow principles from biology to achieve efficiency, adaptability, and new problem-solving methods. While it may not be conscious nor a step toward a singularity, it represents an engineering milestone that could reshape AI, robotics, and neuroscience research. The project invites readers and scientists alike to reflect on the possibilities and limits of brain-inspired technology, asking how far we can push the line between artificial and biological intelligence and what ethical, practical, and scientific questions such advances raise.
Olunifesi Suraj
Sources
Basu, T. (2025, November 19). China claims it uploaded a monkey brain to a supercomputer — Possibly bringing us closer to the singularity. Popular Mechanics.
Dataconomy. (2025). What is neuromorphic computing? Dataconomy Publications.
Growth Buzz. (2025). Neuromorphic computing: Bridging the gap between human brains and machines.
Livescience. (2025). China’s Darwin Monkey is the world’s largest brain-inspired supercomputer.
