Socially Beneficial Agentswith Biologically Inspired
Artificial Intelligence
ARAKAWA, Naoya, PhD
The Whole Brain Architecture
InitiativeOctober 4, 2019, at the AI to Bridge the Borders ConferenceWho am I?
Why am I here?
❖ I have been working around AI.
❖ I am an ex-colleague of a Finnish researcher
Kristiina Jokinen, who works in Tokyo.
❖ My Backgrounds➢ Biophysical Engineering➢ Systems Engineering➢ Natural Language Processing➢ Philosophy of Language (Ph.D)➢ Cognitive Science in generalToday’s Topics❖ AI, Agents, and Communication❖ Creating AI by mimicking the brain❖ The Whole Brain Architecture Initiative,an NPO

The AI Boom
● AI is booming, and here we are 😃!

💥

● It’s the 3rd Boom

= Machine Learning Boom
● Previously knowledge for AI was hand-made● This time, machines learn!

Where we are● Machines learn to recognize patterns:“Pattern Recognition”● Now machines can see 👀 and hear👂!
● Many promising applications ahead (Boom)!

Other AI● Pattern recognition is only part of AI.
● AI should be able to what humans can do, e.g.:○ Manipulate things○ Communicate with humans○ In brief, work for us○ Or, be a socially beneficial ‘robot’…
● Can the current AI do those things?
○ Not quite.

irasutoya.com

Artificial General Intelligence● Humans have “General Intelligence” in thesense:○ we are able to cope with novel situationsin ingenious ways.
● We may want AI to have such capability○ to have them in our workplaces.
● Thus, we would like to have
Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI.

Situation around AGI● We haven’t got it.
● Current AI=Machine Learning ≠ AGI● They learn specific tasks,i.e., not general (narrow AI)● But ML is part of AGI.
○ So the situation is better for AGI R&D.

● AI top researchers are well aware of AGI!
e.g., @DeepMind, OpenAI, etc.

● We’ll get AGI or human-like AI
in 10 or 20 years?

AI Agents● Agents perform tasks in the environment.
● Physical (embodied) agents 〜 robots● We’d like them to communicate with us
to collaborate!
● In language and in other ways…
● Human-Agent communication○ long studied topic…
● Communication: to bridge the borderChanging to the second topic:❖ Creating AI by mimicking the brain〜 what I currently promote...

Creating AI by mimicking the brain
Looking back the previous topic:● We’d like to have human-like agents. For:○ the general intelligence capability○ the ease of communication⇒ to make them socially beneficial!
● So, it’s natural to think about mimicking
the human brain…

🧠Brain-inspired A(G)I research
Brain-inspired A(G)I research is pursued, e.g.:○ Hassabis, et al. @DeepMind“Neuroscience-Inspired Artificial Intelligence”,Neuron (2017)○ Cognitive Computational Neuroscience
Conferences (2018-)○ Recent Brain Informatics Conferences○ A Cold Spring Harbor Conference (2020)“From Neuroscience to Artificially Intelligent Systems”○ ...

Degree of Resemblance
Human-Like

The more the system
resembles the humanbrain, the more it getshuman-like.

ButSimplicity

Resemblance?
Many researchers may opt
for just being inspired
than mimicking.

Resemblance

Brain is too complex?

Motivation for Mimicking
Human-Like

Resemblance

Human-Like● easier to understandeach other (?)● easier to communicate (?)- similar ‘constitution’⇒ common background
Other motivation● referring to the brain ascommon ground forcollaborative development- to be mentioned later

Side-effects of Mimicking Humans❖ (Some) humans are bad, really bad…
➢ Through simulation, we can understandthe badness or the human nature in general.
➢ Then, we can control the badness in AI...

❖ Humans can be mentally sick.
➢ Through simulation, we can understand mental
disorders.
➢ Then, it may serve for cure…
❖ Besides, machine learning is generally black boxes.
➢ Simulated humans may cast light into the boxes.
⇒ eXplainable AI (XAI)

So, hopefully the approach will be socially beneficial!

Changing to the third & last topic:❖ The Whole Brain Architecture Initiative,
the NPO〜 where I currently work...

The Whole Brain Architecture Initiative

An NPO established in 2015
Vision: to create a world in which AI exists inharmony with humanity (being Beneficial)
Mission: to promote the open development of
human-like AGI by studying the entirearchitecture of the brain(i.e., Whole Brain Architecture)through● Education● R&D

Education❖ Seminars for local general audience onneuroscience, AI, & Cog. Sci.

❖ Hackathons- events forengineersAnimal-AI Olympics
This year: we promote the Animal-AI Olympics,
ongoing AI software competition with agents in
virtual environments.
http://animalaiolympics.com/● Organized by people at Leverhulme Centre
for the Future of Intelligence (CFI).
● Agents’ cognitive capabilities to be tested
are inspired by animals.
● Prizes: total $32,000
WBA Prize ($4,000) for the most
biologically plausible entry.

Image Credit Squidoodle

R&D

Basically, we do not conduct R&D, but
promote/support R&D in the whole brain architecture
approach.
R&D areas include:● Software platforms● Modeling (parts of) the brain● ...

The Whole Brain Reference Architecture

Current R&D Focus:● To create & maintainthe Whole Brain Reference Architecture○ Circuit diagram of the brain○ Design chart for brain-inspired AGI○ to be a common ground for researchers
N.B. human brain architecture is unique!
○ to bridge neuroscientists and engineers!

International Collaboration
Bridging borders between cultures...
Currently:● Partnership with Project AGI(Australia-based research entity)● Collaborating with the Animal-AI Olympics

If you are interested, please check our HP& contact us! https://wba-initiative.org/en/

Kiitos huomiostanne!
ご清聴ありがとうございました。