🧠 Brain & AI Mysteries

How do physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective experience? Why is there something it's like to be conscious rather than just processing information without any inner experience?

How do we ensure that advanced AI systems pursue goals that are aligned with human values and intentions? As AI becomes more powerful, misalignment could have catastrophic consequences.

How can we create AI systems that match or exceed human cognitive abilities across all domains? Current AI excels in narrow tasks but lacks the general intelligence and adaptability of humans.

How does the brain integrate distributed information processing into unified conscious experience? Different brain regions process different aspects of perception, yet we experience a coherent, unified reality.

How can we make AI decision-making processes interpretable and explainable? Deep learning models often work as "black boxes," making decisions through complex processes that are difficult to understand or audit.

How are memories encoded, stored, and retrieved in the brain? What are the mechanisms of memory formation, consolidation, and the relationship between different types of memory systems?

How can we create reliable, long-term interfaces between the brain and computers? Challenges include neural signal decoding, biocompatibility, and bidirectional communication with the nervous system.

How can AI systems understand and reason with the implicit knowledge that humans take for granted? Common sense involves understanding causality, physics, psychology, and social norms that are rarely explicitly stated.