What does the free energy principle tell us about the brain?

TL;DR

This paper explores how the free energy principle serves as a comprehensive framework for understanding brain function, linking it to Bayesian inference, predictive coding, and active learning, and clarifying their relationships.

Contribution

It clarifies the connections between the free energy principle and other theories like Bayesian inference and predictive coding, highlighting their shared and distinctive predictions.

Findings

The free energy principle unifies various brain theories.

It clarifies the relationships among predictive coding, Bayesian inference, and active learning.

The article distinguishes shared and unique predictions of these theories.

Abstract

The free energy principle has been proposed as a unifying account of brain function. It is closely related, and in some cases subsumes, earlier unifying ideas such as Bayesian inference, predictive coding, and active learning. This article clarifies these connections, teasing apart distinctive and shared predictions.