<p>The brain processes information in the visual hierarchy through parallel streams. In this review, we first introduce the visual hierarchy at the macroscopic level along the dorsal and ventral streams. We then delve into the mesoscopic modular architecture of the extrastriate area to illustrate how parallel and hierarchical processing are implemented in the early-to-mid visual system. These organizational principles have influenced the design of artificial neural networks. Advances in neuroimaging and neural networks now enable the exploration of modular organization in the visual cortex, as well as their digital counterparts. We propose that integrating biological principles with computational approaches can deepen our understanding of the visual system and promote the development of biologically plausible artificial intelligence.</p>