VERSES AI Inc. announced presentation of its developments and contributions at the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness. The 26th annual meeting of the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness (ASSC), held at New York University, last month, welcomed a variety of distinguished keynote speakers, presenters and philosophers including Thomas Nagel, David Chalmers and two contributors from VERSES ?Director of Product, Mahault Albarracin, and Senior Researcher, Alex Kiefer, who presented novel and potentially disruptive theories in cognitive neuroscience. Albarracin presented findings on a model of consciousness derived from the free-energy principle (FEP).

After outlining the classical and quantum formulations of FEP, Albarracin discussed its implications on the sparse, nested and hierarchical neuro-anatomy of the brain. The highlight of Albarracin's presentation was the examination of the holographic structure of the brain and how it supports overt and covert action. The research connects understanding of human consciousness with AI development, fostering a novel approach to AI at VERSES.

Kiefer, stationed at Monash University, challenged traditional cognitive science debates, asserting that 21st-century advancements in the theory of cognitive systems, particularly those linked with sophisticated AI and machine learning, have rendered two ?outdated? dichotomies. The first dichotomy Kiefer dismantled was between iconic and discursive (language-like) representations or representational formats.

The second, was between formal, rule-governed processes or state transitions and associative ones. Kiefer's talk elucidated the role and function of vector space embeddings - common elements in all successful deep learning systems - as being more flexible and capable than traditionally recognized. He presented four key theses highlighting the capabilities of vector space representations and their roles in modern paradigms in cognitive science.

Kiefer's research aims to broaden understanding of AI, offering insights into the workings of advanced systems.