Machine Learning Street Talk (MLST) avatar

Dexa/Machine Learning Street Talk (MLST)

Learn more
Published Jan 7, 2024

DOES AI HAVE AGENCY? With Professor. Karl Friston and Riddhi J. Pitliya

Exploring the agency of AI through the lenses of language and cognitive dynamics, with insights from Professor Karl Friston and Riddhi J. Pitliya, this episode delves into the memetic nature of language, the free energy principle, and the potential for AI entities to surpass human intelligence.
Episode Highlights
Machine Learning Street Talk (MLST) logo

Topics covered

Popular Clips

Episode Highlights

  • Free Energy

    The free energy principle is a cornerstone of cognitive science, positing that living systems strive to minimize the difference between their predicted states and actual sensory inputs. and discuss how this principle underpins agency, suggesting that even deterministic systems can exhibit agency by synchronizing internal and external states 1. Friston emphasizes the observer-relative nature of boundaries, where perception shapes our understanding of reality, making hallucinations a form of agency 2.

    A hallucination in itself exists for one person. There is a statistical boundary over there. There is some level of an interaction over there.

    ---

    This perspective highlights the subjective nature of perception and its role in defining agency.

       

    Psychology

    The free energy principle offers insights into psychological phenomena, particularly depression. argues that depression is highly individualistic, shaped by personal experiences and strategies developed over time 3. He suggests that top-down interventions, like societal laws, must consider individual contexts to be effective 4.

    Depression could exist because I experienced a certain event early on in my life, and I adopted a strategy. That strategy worked during that time, and now I've learned that that strategy is helpful.

    ---

    This approach emphasizes the need for personalized strategies in addressing mental health issues.

       

    Perception

    Perception inherently limits agency, as individuals can only understand the world through their sensory experiences. explains that our perception is constrained by our senses, creating a unique "umwelt" for each organism 5. This limitation is mirrored in the concept of agency, where free will is bounded by environmental and systemic factors 6.

    You really don't know what you don't know, and you can't imagine it. You can't imagine a new color.

    ---

    Despite these constraints, Friston argues that agency persists through the ability to act within these boundaries.

Related Episodes