Professor Alison Gopnik will be delivering our annual lecture, entitled "Understanding how children, scientists, and AI systems learn".
Alison is a Distinguished Professor at the University of California at Berkley. She received her BA from McGill University and her PhD from Oxford University. She is a leader in cognitive science, particularly the study of children’s learning and development. She was one of the founders of the field of “theory of mind”, an originator of the “theory theory” of cognitive development, and the first to apply Bayesian probabilistic models to children’s learning.
A common model of AI suggests that there is a single measure of intelligence, often called AGI, and that AI systems are agents who can possess more or less of this intelligence. Cognitive science, in contrast, suggests that there are multiple forms of intelligence and that these intelligences trade-off against each other and have a distinctive developmental profile. The adult ability to accomplish goals and maximize utilities is often seen as the quintessential form of intelligence. However, this ability to exploit is in tension with the ability to explore and to create world models based on that exploration. Children are particularly adept at exploration and model-building, though at the cost of competent action and decision-making. Human intelligence also relies heavily on cultural transmission, passing on information from one generation to the next, and children are also particularly adept at such learning. Thinking about exploration and transmission can change our approach to AI systems. Large language models and similar systems are best understood as cultural technologies, like writing, pictures and print, that enable information transmission. In contrast, our empirical work suggests that RL systems employing an intrinsic objective of empowerment gain can help capture the exploration and theory formation we see in both children and scientists. Empowerment learning, in particular, may help construct causal models both in childhood and in science.
We invite members of the university and public to participate in this FREE event taking place at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History on 17 June 2025, 6pm - 7:15pm. Please note that registration for in person attendance is mandatory.
The lecture will also be live streamed on YouTube - the link will be added soon.
The Oxford Schmidt AI in Science programme and lecture are generously supported by Schmidt Sciences. If you have any questions about the lecture, please email: saiis@dtc.ox.ac.uk
