Neurons receive precisely tailored teaching signals as we learn
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New research from MIT neuroscientists finds the brain delivers specific feedback during learning that resemble the error signals that drive machine learning.
New work suggests the brain can deliver neuron-specific feedback during learning — resembling the error signals that drive machine learning. Jennifer Michalowski | McGovern Institute for Brain Research Publication Date: March 9, 2026 Press Inquiries Press Contact: Julie Pryor Email: jpryor@mit.edu Phone: 617-715-5397 McGovern Institute for Brain Research Close Caption: MIT research suggests that the brain learns with surprising precision, sending targeted feedback to individual neurons so each one can adjust its activity in the right direction. Credits: Image: iStock Caption: Mark Harnett, an associate professor of brain and cognitive sciences, as well as an investigator at the McGovern Institute, says his team's recent work opens new opportunities to investigate possible parallels between the brain and machine learning. Credits: Photo: Adam Glanzman Previous image Next image When we learn a new skill, the brain has to decide — cell by cell — what to change. New research from MIT suggests it can do that with surprising precision, sending targeted feedback to individual neurons so each one can adjust its activity in the right direction.The finding echoes a key idea from modern artificial intelligence. Many AI systems learn by comparing their output to a target, computing an “error” signal, and using it to fine-tune connections within the network. A long-standing question has been whether the brain also uses that kind of individualized feedback. In an open-access study publi...