The Relationship between Cognition and Computation: "Global-first" Cognition versus Local-first Computation

TL;DR

This paper explores the fundamental relationship between cognition and computation, proposing the 'Global-first' principle to distinguish cognition from computation and guide future brain-inspired AI research.

Contribution

It introduces the 'Global-first' principle as a new framework for understanding the relationship between cognition and computation, emphasizing a global approach over local computation.

Findings

Formulated the 'Global-first' principle for RCC

Classified RCC into four key categories

Provided a new perspective for brain-inspired AI development

Abstract

What fundamental research questions are essential for advancing toward brain-inspired AI or AGI capable of performing any intellectual task a human can? We believe the key question today is the relationship between cognition and computation (RCC). For example, the widely discussed question "Will artificial intelligence replace the human mind?" is, in essence and in scientific terms, an issue concerning RCC. We have chosen to classify RCC into four categories: 1. The relationship between the primitives of cognition and the primitives of computation. 2. The relationship between the anatomical structure of neural representation of cognition and the computational architecture of artificial intelligence. 3. The relationship between emergents in cognition and emergents in computation. 4. The relationship between the mathematical foundations of cognition and computation. The cumulative empirical evidence and theoretical analyses led us to formulate the "Global-first" principle, which highlights the contrast between "Global-first" cognition and local-first computation in RCC, offering a specific and well-defined starting point for understanding RCC.