Computer scientists at University College London are working to program computers that can reprogram themselves in response to changes in their environment, New Scientist reported.
The computer — being developed by computer scientist Dr. Peter Bentley and Christos Sakellariou, a research engineer at UCL — is modeled on the “apparent randomness” found in nature, allowing a damaged computer to self-heal.
The computer’s instructions are stored across its various systems, which, if damaged, would allow it to repair its own code.
“Dubbed a ‘systemic’ computer, the self-repairing machine now operating at University College London could keep mission-critical systems working,” reported the publication.
“For instance, it could allow drones to reprogram themselves to cope with combat damage, or help create more realistic models of the human brain.”