Boston, December 12, 2023 – In a landmark initiative, prominent scientists, strategists and policy makers are joining forces to redefine the public narrative surrounding artificial intelligence (AI), grounding it in the science of computational physics, biology, and neuroscience. The Active Inference Institute and the Boston Global Forum, through a joint letter signed by leading experts, announce a pivotal effort to reshape the discourse on AI.
Titled “A Natural AI Based on The Science of Computational Physics, Biology, and Neuroscience: Policy and Societal Significance,” the letter addresses the remarkable advancements in AI, especially Large Language Models (LLMs) and Transformer models. While acknowledging their achievements, the letter underscores concerns about the lack of scientific principles guiding their development and the absence of independent performance standards.
Signatories emphasize that current LLMs and Transformer models are “corpus bound,” relying on parameters that remain enigmatic and inaccessible to scrutiny. Despite their capabilities, a critical understanding of these systems and their implications is missing.
Challenging the popular narrative of AI as an existential threat or the emergence of “super intelligence,” the letter argues for a more nuanced view rooted in computational neuroscience, biology, and physics, highlighting the interconnected “intelligences” of all living things.
The signatories stress that a nuanced scientific understanding of AI is crucial for effective policies and regulations. They highlight the relevance of studying the human brain-mind to optimize the integration of human intelligence with artificial intelligence in a pro-social manner.
Addressing economic, policy, and social misunderstandings surrounding AI, the letter challenges the notion that only “Big Tech” companies can afford AI commercialization.
It anticipates a future where distributed and biologically grounded intelligences can operate on mobile devices with lower energy requirements, promising transparency, privacy, security, and equitable access.
In response to these challenges, the signatories propose interdisciplinary public workshops to convene legislators, regulators, technologists, investors, scientists, journalists, NGOs, faith communities, the public, and business leaders. The goal is to foster an alternative, science-based understanding of the biological foundations of AI and transform the way AI is approached, developed, and integrated into society.
This initiative is a collaborative effort between the Active Inference Institute, grounded in the science of computational physics and biology, the Neuropsychiatry and Society Program, focused on understanding the societal implications of the human brain-mind, and the Boston Global Forum, dedicated to forming global policies and an AI World Society model for the inclusive and beneficial application of AI.
Boston Global Forum is set to host the AIWS Roundtable on December 12, 2023, to announce and discuss the letter and initiative. Additionally, a significant conference is planned at Harvard University Loeb House on April 30, 2024, focusing on this pioneering initiative.
For more information, please visit:
- Active Inference Institute: infor.activeinference.org
- Boston Global Forum: bostonglobalforum.org
Contact Information:
Jim McManus,
Principal Partner of Slowey McManus Communications
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 617-413-9232
John Clippinger,
Co-Founder, BioForm Labs
Email: [email protected]
About the Active Inference Institute:
https://www.activeinference.org/about/strategy
About the Neuropsychiatry and Society Program:
About the Boston Global Forum:
The Boston Global Forum (BGF) offers a venue for leaders, strategists, thinkers, and innovators to contribute to the process of Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment.
The BGF introduced core concepts that are shaping groundbreaking international initiatives, most notably, the Social Contract for the AI Age, AI International Law and Accord, the Global Alliance for Digital Governance, the AI World Society (AIWS) Ecosystem, and the AIWS City.
