Intermittent Active Inference

TL;DR

This paper introduces Intermittent Active Inference, a new method that reduces computational load while maintaining performance in tasks like mouse pointing.

Contribution

The novel Intermittent Active Inference framework enables intermittent planning based on prediction error thresholds and Expected Free Energy.

Findings

IAIF reduces computation time while maintaining task performance in mouse pointing tasks.

Increasing the number of sampled plans during planning improves performance in IAIF.

The Expected Free Energy trigger requires no additional calibration.

Abstract

Active inference provides a unified framework for perception and action as processes of minimizing prediction error given a generative model of the environment. Whilst standard formulations assume continuous inference and control, empirical evidence indicates that humans update their control strategies intermittently, which reduces computational demands and mitigates propagation of correlated noise in closed feedback loops. To address this, we introduce Intermittent Active Inference (IAIF), a novel variant in which sensing, inference, planning, or acting can occur intermittently. This paper investigates intermittent planning, where IAIF agents follow their current plan and only re-plan when the prediction error exceeds a predefined threshold or the Expected Free Energy associated with the current plan surpasses prior estimates. We evaluate intermittent planning in a mouse pointing task, comparing against continuous planning while examining the impact of different threshold parameters on performance and efficiency. The findings indicate that IAIF reduces computation time whilst maintaining task performance, particularly when the number of plans sampled during planning is increased. In case of the proposed trigger based on Expected Free Energy, no additional calibration is required for this. The straightforward integration of IAIF makes it valuable in practical modelling workflows.

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