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Inferring neural activity before plasticity for learning beyond backpropagation

nature.com

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Re: Inferring neural activity before plasticity for learning beyond backpropagation

#4
Wait, my brain doesn't do backprop over a pile of linear algebra after having the internet rammed through it? No way that's crazy /s

tl;dr: paper proposes a principle called 'prospective configuration' to explain how the brain does credit assignment and learns, as opposed to backprop. Backprop can lead to 'catastrophic interference' where learning new things abalates old associations, which doesn't match observed biological processes. From what I can tell, prosp. config learns by solving what the activations should have been to explain the error, and then updates the weights in accordance, which apparently somehow avoids abalating old associations. They then show how prosp. config explains observed biological processes. Cool stuff, wish I could find the code. There's some supplemental notes:

https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1038%2Fs415...

Re: Inferring neural activity before plasticity for learning beyond backpropagation

#6

Wait, my brain doesn't do backprop over a pile of linear algebra after having the internet rammed through it? No way that's crazy /s tl;dr: paper proposes a principle called 'prospective configuration' to explain how the brain does credit assignment and learns, as opposed to backprop. Backprop can lead to 'catastrophic interference' where learning new things abalates old associations, which doesn't match observed bio…

The code: https://github.com/YuhangSong/Prospective-Configuration

Re: Inferring neural activity before plasticity for learning beyond backpropagation

#7
Some are surprised that anyone would make this point, either the title or the research.

It might be a response to the many, many claims in articles that neural networks work like the brain. Even using terms like neurons and synapses. With those claims getting widespread, people also start building theories on top of them that make AI’s more like humans. Then, we won’t need humans or they’ll be extinct or something.

Many of us whom are tired of that are both countering it and just using different terms for each where possible. So, I’m calling the AI’s models, saying model training instead of learning, and finding and acting on patterns in data. Even laypeople seem to understand these terms with less confusion about them being just like brains.

Re: Inferring neural activity before plasticity for learning beyond backpropagation

#9
post #8

Was a study really necessary for this? Do "AI" fanbois really think LLMs work like a biological brain? This only reinforces the old maxim: Artificial intelligence will never be a match for natural stupidity

Claims that LLMs work like human brains were common at the start of this AI wave. There are still lots of fanboys who defend accusations of rampant copyright infringement with the claim that AI model training should be treated like human brain learning.

Re: Inferring neural activity before plasticity for learning beyond backpropagation

#10
post #9
post #8

Was a study really necessary for this? Do "AI" fanbois really think LLMs work like a biological brain? This only reinforces the old maxim: Artificial intelligence will never be a match for natural stupidity

Claims that LLMs work like human brains were common at the start of this AI wave. There are still lots of fanboys who defend accusations of rampant copyright infringement with the claim that AI model training should be treated like human brain learning.

It only learns like a human when I use it to rip-off other people's work.
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