Triangulating Intelligence: Melding Neuroscience, Psychology, and AI

This course will cover both classic findings and the latest research progress on the intersection of cognitive science, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence: How does the study of minds and machines inform and guide each other? What are the assumptions, representations, or learning mechanisms that are shared (across multiple disciplines, and what are different? How can we build a synergistic partnership between cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence? We will focus on object perception and social cognition (human capacities, especially in infancy and early childhood) and the ways in which these capacities are formalized and reverse-engineered (computer vision, reinforcement learning). Through paper reading and review, discussion, and the final project, students will learn the common foundations shared behind neuroscience, cognitive science, and AI research and leverage them to develop their own research project in these areas. Recommended prerequisites: PSYCH 1, PSYCH 24/SYMSYS 1/CS 24, CS 221, CS 231N