CHAI Plenary Talk: A Roadmap for True AI – The Thousand Brains Theory of Intelligence by Jeff Hawkins

RIT's Center for Human Aware AI (CHAI) 2021 Fall Seminar Series

CHAI Plenary Talk: A Roadmap for True AI – The Thousand Brains Theory of Intelligence by Jeff Hawkins

Abstract: Recent advances in reverse engineering the neocortex have revealed deep insights into what intelligence is and how to create intelligent machines. Known as The Thousand Brains Theory, Jeff Hawkins, Co-founder and Chief Scientist at Numenta, will describe the theory and present a roadmap for advancing AI based on neuroscience principles. Jeff will then describe Numenta’s progress in implementing this roadmap and applying neuroscience principles, such as sparsity, to existing deep learning networks. He will show that sparse networks are more resilient and robust than traditional dense networks. With the right hardware substrate, sparse networks are also significantly faster and more energy efficient. Jeff will discuss how improvements in the neuron model can lead to continually learning systems trained via prediction errors. He will conclude the talk by proposing that neuroscience principles implemented on the right architecture offer the only feasible path to scalable intelligent systems. The theory and its implications for AI are described in Hawkins’ recent book, A Thousand Brains.

Biography: Jeff Hawkins is a well-known scientist and entrepreneur, considered one of the most successful and highly regarded computer architects in Silicon Valley. He is widely known for founding Palm Computing and Handspring Inc. and for being the architect of many successful handheld computers. He is often credited with starting the entire handheld computing industry. Despite his successes as a technology entrepreneur, Hawkins' primary passion and occupation has been neuroscience. From 2002 to 2005, Hawkins directed the Redwood Neuroscience Institute, now located at U.C. Berkeley. He is currently co-founder and chief scientist at Numenta, a research company focused on neocortical theory. Hawkins has written two books, "On Intelligence" (2004 with Sandra Blakeslee) and "A Thousand Brains: A new theory of intelligence" (2021). Jeff was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2003.