Distinguished Seminar Series Kickoff!

ARNI launched its Distinguished Seminar Series, aimed at hosting experts whose work at the intersection of AI, neuroscience, and cognitive science has had a major impact in these fields. The goal of the series is to offer deeper insights into the rapidly growing field of neuroAI and foster fruitful conversations among the ARNI community.

On November 1st, our inaugural speaker, Dr. James DiCarlo—MIT Professor and Director of the Quest for Intelligence—presented on “Do contemporary, machine-executable models (aka digital twins) of the primate visual system unlock the ability to non-invasively, beneficially modulate high-level brain states?” Dr. DiCarlo shared insights into how neuroscience and AI have led to “digital twins”: models that closely mirror the brain’s visual processes and presented two examples and shared compelling examples of recent work with these “digital twins” models. The first example revealed that small, targeted image changes can “trick” the brain’s visual neurons, disrupting their usual responses—similar to a neural “attack.” Digital twin models predicted this outcome and experiments with monkeys confirmed it. The second example explored a beneficial application: instead of disrupting neural activity, digital twins can help design specific light patterns to adjust brain activity gently. By targeting neurons involved in mood and anxiety, this approach holds promise for developing non-invasive mental health therapies in the future.

Stay tuned for our next speakers in the series!