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 global workspace theory


Hypothesis on the Functional Advantages of the Selection-Broadcast Cycle Structure: Global Workspace Theory and Dealing with a Real-Time World

Nakanishi, Junya, Baba, Jun, Yoshikawa, Yuichiro, Kamide, Hiroko, Ishiguro, Hiroshi

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

This paper discusses the functional advantages of the Selection-Broadcast Cycle structure proposed by Global Workspace Theory (GWT), inspired by human consciousness, particularly focusing on its applicability to artificial intelligence and robotics in dynamic, real-time scenarios. While previous studies often examined the Selection and Broadcast processes independently, this research emphasizes their combined cyclic structure and the resulting benefits for real-time cognitive systems. Specifically, the paper identifies three primary benefits: Dynamic Thinking Adaptation, Experience-Based Adaptation, and Immediate Real-Time Adaptation. This work highlights GWT's potential as a cognitive architecture suitable for sophisticated decision-making and adaptive performance in unsupervised, dynamic environments. It suggests new directions for the development and implementation of robust, general-purpose AI and robotics systems capable of managing complex, real-world tasks.


The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Human Thought

Gesnot, Rénald

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

This research paper examines, from a multidimensional perspective (cognitive, social, ethical, and philosophical), how AI is transforming human thought. It highlights a cognitive offloading effect: the externalization of mental functions to AI can reduce intellectual engagement and weaken critical thinking. On the social level, algorithmic personalization creates filter bubbles that limit the diversity of opinions and can lead to the homogenization of thought and polarization. This research also describes the mechanisms of algorithmic manipulation (exploitation of cognitive biases, automated disinformation, etc.) that amplify AI's power of influence. Finally, the question of potential artificial consciousness is discussed, along with its ethical implications. The report as a whole underscores the risks that AI poses to human intellectual autonomy and creativity, while proposing avenues (education, transparency, governance) to align AI development with the interests of humanity.


Modeling Associative Reasoning Processes

Schon, Claudia, Furbach, Ulrich, Ragni, Marco

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

The human capability to reason about one domain by using knowledge of other domains has been researched for more than 50 years, but models that are formally sound and predict cognitive process are sparse. We propose a formally sound method that models associative reasoning by adapting logical reasoning mechanisms. In particular it is shown that the combination with large commensense knowledge within a single reasoning system demands for an efficient and powerful association technique. This approach is also used for modelling mind-wandering and the Remote Associates Test (RAT) for testing creativity. In a general discussion we show implications of the model for a broad variety of cognitive phenomena including consciousness.


A Machine Consciousness architecture based on Deep Learning and Gaussian Processes

Merchán, Eduardo C. Garrido, Molina, Martín

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

Recent developments in machine learning have pushed the tasks that machines can do outside the boundaries of what was thought to be possible years ago. Methodologies such as deep learning or generative models have achieved complex tasks such as generating art pictures or literature automatically. Machine Consciousness is a field that has been deeply studied and several theories based in the functionalism philosophical theory like the global workspace theory have been proposed. In this work, we propose an architecture that may arise consciousness in a machine based in the global workspace theory and in the assumption that consciousness appear in machines that have cognitive processes and exhibit conscious behaviour. This architecture is based in processes that use the recent Deep Learning and generative process models. For every module of this architecture, we provide detailed explanations of the models involved and how they communicate with each other to create the cognitive architecture. We illustrate how we can optimize the architecture to generate social interactions between robots and genuine pieces of art, both features correlated with machine consciousness. As far as we know, this is the first machine consciousness architecture that use generative models and deep learning to exhibit conscious social behaviour and to retrieve pictures and other subjective content made by robots.


MIRA: A Computational Neuro-Based Cognitive Architecture Applied to Movie Recommender Systems

Santos, Mariana B., Lima, Amanda M., Silva, Lucas A., Vargas, Felipe S., Wachs-Lopes, Guilherme A., Rodrigues, Paulo S.

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

The human mind is still an unknown process of neuroscience in many aspects. Nevertheless, for decades the scientific community has proposed computational models that try to simulate their parts, specific applications, or their behavior in different situations. The most complete model in this line is undoubtedly the LIDA model, proposed by Stan Franklin with the aim of serving as a generic computational architecture for several applications. The present project is inspired by the LIDA model to apply it to the process of movie recommendation, the model called MIRA (Movie Intelligent Recommender Agent) presented percentages of precision similar to a traditional model when submitted to the same assay conditions. Moreover, the proposed model reinforced the precision indexes when submitted to tests with volunteers, proving once again its performance as a cognitive model, when executed with small data volumes. Considering that the proposed model achieved a similar behavior to the traditional models under conditions expected to be similar for natural systems, it can be said that MIRA reinforces the applicability of LIDA as a path to be followed for the study and generation of computational agents inspired by neural behaviors.


CCRG - Cognitive Computing Research Group

AITopics Original Links

Like the Roman god Janus, cognitive computing projects can have two faces, their science face and their engineering face. The science face fleshes out the global workspace theory of consciousness into a full cognitive model of how minds work. The engineering face of cognitive computing explores architectural designs for software information agents and cognitive robots that promise more flexible, more human-like intelligence within their domains. This fleshed out global workspace theory is yielding hopefully testable hypotheses about human cognition. The architectures and mechanisms that underlie intelligence and consciousness in humans can be expected to yield information agents, and cognitive robots that learn continualy, adapt readily to dynamic environments, and behave flexibly and intelligently when faced with novel and unexpected situations.


Is Consciousness Computationally Functional?

Baars, Bernard (The Neurosciences Institute)

AAAI Conferences

Consciousness is a major feature of mammalian nervous systems. Recent evidence indicates it may extend from mammals to birds and even cephalopods (Edelman, Seth 2009). Since all major biological adaptations are functional, or sequelae of biofunctions, and since brains perform computations, it would seem that consciousness must have a basic biocomputational function. Biologically, that means of course that consciousness endows nervous systems with one or more adaptive advantages leading to higher gene frequencies for those brains. Given that mammals have existed for some 200 million years, and that mammals share the thalamocortical core that supports conscious states, it is very likely that conscious brains have gathered not just one but many biocomputational functions. That certainly accords with our common sense notions of conscious (as well as unconscious) activities.