Who is in control, the brain or the body? It may seem like an easy answer, but there is significant evidence to indicate that our physicality has greatly influenced our thought processes. This concept of embodied cognition holds valuable insights for those developing truly intelligent machines – artificial intelligences capable of learning, reasoning, and applying their knowledge to a variety of tasks, much like humans.
Josh Bongard, a roboticist at the University of Vermont, is among those advocating that AIs will only live up to their potential if they can directly engage with and experience the physical world. This vision differs from that of AIs such as ChatGPT, which only interact with the world through the abstract medium of language. The field of embodied AI is driving towards the integration of artificial intelligence and robotics, with Bongard at the forefront of this movement.
He believes that we need to reconsider our approach to both fields. Simply combining an AI chatbot with a robotic arm, as demonstrated by Google’s PaLM-E system, may not suffice. Instead, Bongard focuses on “evolutionary robotics,” which applies the principles of natural selection to swiftly iterate through robot designs, many of which are constructed from soft materials. He is also part of a team that utilizes living cells to create simple biological robots, known as xenobots, which can perform basic tasks and interact with, as well as respond to, their surroundings.
In this context, Bongard discusses with TheScienceFusion how this work is prompting entirely new perspectives on embodied cognition and redefining what qualifies as a robot, potentially revolutionizing our approach to building intelligent machines.
![](https://thesciencefusion.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/The-Roboticist-Seeking-to-Bridge-the-Gap-Between-Artificial-Intelligence.jpg)
The Roboticist Seeking to Bridge the Gap Between Artificial Intelligence and Reality
December 4, 2023
Read next
Nothing Can Leave a Mark on the Slippery 3D-Printed Toilet
August 21, 2023
A team of researchers from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China has developed a 3D-printed…
2 min read
CRISPR-Edited Trees Lower Energy and Water Consumption for Paper Production
July 13, 2023
Using CRISPR to genetically edit trees could significantly reduce the energy and water usage in the paper…
2 min read
December 12, 2023
IF YOU ask the AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT what the rise of synthetic intelligence means for humanity’s future,…
1 min read
April 17, 2024
Reinterpretations of the etchingsMatthew Attard and Galleria Michela Rizzo On the sixtieth Venice Biennale,…
2 min read