Ismael T. Freire
@ishmajl.bsky.social
Postdoc in NeuroAI at Sorbonne University.
Studying collaboration and morality in humans and machines. Computacional ethics, Cybernetics, ALife, self-organization, complexity, ecology, cultural evolution.
Studying collaboration and morality in humans and machines. Computacional ethics, Cybernetics, ALife, self-organization, complexity, ecology, cultural evolution.
Pinned
Ismael T. Freire
@ishmajl.bsky.social
· Jan 22
I’m very happy to announce that "The Nature and Dynamics of Collaboration" is now out from @mitpress.bsky.social!
I’m honored to have contributed to two chapters to this incredibly multidisciplinary and exciting book, which couldn’t be more timely in these complex and challenging times.
I’m honored to have contributed to two chapters to this incredibly multidisciplinary and exciting book, which couldn’t be more timely in these complex and challenging times.
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
New preprint 🌟 Psychology is core to cognitive science, and so it is vital we preserve it from harmful frames. @irisvanrooij.bsky.social & I use our psych and computer science expertise to analyse and craft:
Critical Artificial Intelligence Literacy for Psychologists. doi.org/10.31234/osf...
🧵 1/
Critical Artificial Intelligence Literacy for Psychologists. doi.org/10.31234/osf...
🧵 1/
October 4, 2025 at 5:33 AM
New preprint 🌟 Psychology is core to cognitive science, and so it is vital we preserve it from harmful frames. @irisvanrooij.bsky.social & I use our psych and computer science expertise to analyse and craft:
Critical Artificial Intelligence Literacy for Psychologists. doi.org/10.31234/osf...
🧵 1/
Critical Artificial Intelligence Literacy for Psychologists. doi.org/10.31234/osf...
🧵 1/
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
New Phil Trans B issue on the ‘Evolutionary functions of consciousness’
royalsocietypublishing.org/toc/rstb/202...
royalsocietypublishing.org/toc/rstb/202...
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences: Vol 380, No 1939
royalsocietypublishing.org
November 15, 2025 at 9:37 AM
New Phil Trans B issue on the ‘Evolutionary functions of consciousness’
royalsocietypublishing.org/toc/rstb/202...
royalsocietypublishing.org/toc/rstb/202...
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
The intelligence of slime mold is that of its materials
All of Physarum's intelligent behaviors can be explained by physics, as in non-living materials (e.g., water following the path of least resistance), and do not require a representation of the problem.
(preprint) arxiv.org/pdf/2511.08531
All of Physarum's intelligent behaviors can be explained by physics, as in non-living materials (e.g., water following the path of least resistance), and do not require a representation of the problem.
(preprint) arxiv.org/pdf/2511.08531
November 15, 2025 at 10:41 AM
The intelligence of slime mold is that of its materials
All of Physarum's intelligent behaviors can be explained by physics, as in non-living materials (e.g., water following the path of least resistance), and do not require a representation of the problem.
(preprint) arxiv.org/pdf/2511.08531
All of Physarum's intelligent behaviors can be explained by physics, as in non-living materials (e.g., water following the path of least resistance), and do not require a representation of the problem.
(preprint) arxiv.org/pdf/2511.08531
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
1/🧵 Out today in @frontiersin.bsky.social : “Consciousness science: where are we, where are we going, and what if we get there?” By @axc.bsky.social @liadmudrik.bsky.social, & me (a CIFAR & @erc.europa.eu production 🧠). www.frontiersin.org/journals/sci...
Advancing consciousness science
Defining new directions in consciousness research and exploring implications for medicine, technology, and ethics
www.frontiersin.org
October 30, 2025 at 12:00 PM
1/🧵 Out today in @frontiersin.bsky.social : “Consciousness science: where are we, where are we going, and what if we get there?” By @axc.bsky.social @liadmudrik.bsky.social, & me (a CIFAR & @erc.europa.eu production 🧠). www.frontiersin.org/journals/sci...
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
Beliefs about one's own beliefs in chimpanzees.
Five experiments have demonstrated that chimpanzees evaluate their beliefs based on evidence and the source of that evidence (by epistemic defeat). Language is not needed for any of this.
(paper) www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Five experiments have demonstrated that chimpanzees evaluate their beliefs based on evidence and the source of that evidence (by epistemic defeat). Language is not needed for any of this.
(paper) www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
October 30, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Beliefs about one's own beliefs in chimpanzees.
Five experiments have demonstrated that chimpanzees evaluate their beliefs based on evidence and the source of that evidence (by epistemic defeat). Language is not needed for any of this.
(paper) www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Five experiments have demonstrated that chimpanzees evaluate their beliefs based on evidence and the source of that evidence (by epistemic defeat). Language is not needed for any of this.
(paper) www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
Does biology play dice? by @elisecutts.bsky.social
Some thoughts on nature, nurture, and chance in development www.reviewertoo.com/does-biology... Yes it sure does, is the answer! 🎲🎲👋
Some thoughts on nature, nurture, and chance in development www.reviewertoo.com/does-biology... Yes it sure does, is the answer! 🎲🎲👋
Does biology play dice?
Some thoughts on nature, nurture, and chance in development
www.reviewertoo.com
October 24, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Does biology play dice? by @elisecutts.bsky.social
Some thoughts on nature, nurture, and chance in development www.reviewertoo.com/does-biology... Yes it sure does, is the answer! 🎲🎲👋
Some thoughts on nature, nurture, and chance in development www.reviewertoo.com/does-biology... Yes it sure does, is the answer! 🎲🎲👋
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
Ada Lovelace, first AI denigrator
October 23, 2025 at 4:39 AM
Ada Lovelace, first AI denigrator
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
Can AI simulations of human research participants advance cognitive science? In @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social, @lmesseri.bsky.social & I analyze this vision. We show how “AI Surrogates” entrench practices that limit the generalizability of cognitive science while aspiring to do the opposite. 1/
AI Surrogates and illusions of generalizability in cognitive science
Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have generated enthusiasm for using AI simulations of human research participants to generate new know…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Can AI simulations of human research participants advance cognitive science? In @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social, @lmesseri.bsky.social & I analyze this vision. We show how “AI Surrogates” entrench practices that limit the generalizability of cognitive science while aspiring to do the opposite. 1/
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
Fully-funded 4-year #PhD in Cultural Evolution! Join my @erc.europa.eu project exploring how compression & compositionality drive cultural innovation: hmc-lab.com/ERCPhDCultur...
Apply by Nov 12!
Maybe of interest to folks from #COSMOS2025 or @eslr.bsky.social? Please feel free to share! 🙏
Apply by Nov 12!
Maybe of interest to folks from #COSMOS2025 or @eslr.bsky.social? Please feel free to share! 🙏
ERC funded PhD position on Cultural Evolution
ERC funded PhD position on Cultural Evolution
posted on October 16, 2025
We are currently seeking a highly motivated individual for a ful...
hmc-lab.com
October 20, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Fully-funded 4-year #PhD in Cultural Evolution! Join my @erc.europa.eu project exploring how compression & compositionality drive cultural innovation: hmc-lab.com/ERCPhDCultur...
Apply by Nov 12!
Maybe of interest to folks from #COSMOS2025 or @eslr.bsky.social? Please feel free to share! 🙏
Apply by Nov 12!
Maybe of interest to folks from #COSMOS2025 or @eslr.bsky.social? Please feel free to share! 🙏
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
Excellent and insightful critique of the recent "Definition of AGI" paper, from @philipcball.bsky.social
philipball86.substack.com/p/can-we-fin...
philipball86.substack.com/p/can-we-fin...
Can we find a good definition of AGI?
I don't think it is this one.
philipball86.substack.com
October 21, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Excellent and insightful critique of the recent "Definition of AGI" paper, from @philipcball.bsky.social
philipball86.substack.com/p/can-we-fin...
philipball86.substack.com/p/can-we-fin...
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
I said it before and I'll say it again: Cognition is rhythmic
Contents of visual predictions oscillate at alpha frequencies
www.jneurosci.org/content/earl...
#neuroscience
Contents of visual predictions oscillate at alpha frequencies
www.jneurosci.org/content/earl...
#neuroscience
Contents of visual predictions oscillate at alpha frequencies
Predictions of future events have a major impact on how we process sensory signals. However, it remains unclear how the brain keeps predictions online in anticipation of future inputs. Here, we combin...
www.jneurosci.org
October 21, 2025 at 12:00 PM
I said it before and I'll say it again: Cognition is rhythmic
Contents of visual predictions oscillate at alpha frequencies
www.jneurosci.org/content/earl...
#neuroscience
Contents of visual predictions oscillate at alpha frequencies
www.jneurosci.org/content/earl...
#neuroscience
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
Good news: carbon intensity has declined
Bad news: carbon emissions increased, due to the rapid rise in world GDP
Also bad news: the chance of staying below 2°C remained low, at 17%
Better news: chance of going above 3°C has gone down substantially, from 26% to 9%
Bad news: carbon emissions increased, due to the rapid rise in world GDP
Also bad news: the chance of staying below 2°C remained low, at 17%
Better news: chance of going above 3°C has gone down substantially, from 26% to 9%
Mitigation efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and meet the Paris Agreement have been offset by economic growth - Communications Earth & Environment
Global carbon dioxide intensity declined from 2015 to 2024 following the Paris Agreement, but total emissions still increased due to economic growth, according to a global analysis of population, gros...
www.nature.com
October 18, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Good news: carbon intensity has declined
Bad news: carbon emissions increased, due to the rapid rise in world GDP
Also bad news: the chance of staying below 2°C remained low, at 17%
Better news: chance of going above 3°C has gone down substantially, from 26% to 9%
Bad news: carbon emissions increased, due to the rapid rise in world GDP
Also bad news: the chance of staying below 2°C remained low, at 17%
Better news: chance of going above 3°C has gone down substantially, from 26% to 9%
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
1/5 Birds around the world use the same alarm call to warn of the presence of brood parasites.
They studied 21 species from nine families that were separated by 50 million years of evolution. Perhaps the most interesting finding: the alarm call is learned.
(paper) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
They studied 21 species from nine families that were separated by 50 million years of evolution. Perhaps the most interesting finding: the alarm call is learned.
(paper) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
October 17, 2025 at 5:39 PM
1/5 Birds around the world use the same alarm call to warn of the presence of brood parasites.
They studied 21 species from nine families that were separated by 50 million years of evolution. Perhaps the most interesting finding: the alarm call is learned.
(paper) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
They studied 21 species from nine families that were separated by 50 million years of evolution. Perhaps the most interesting finding: the alarm call is learned.
(paper) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
1/4 Psilocybin has evolved twice in fungi
The process by which it occurs in the genus Psilocybe is completely different from that in Inocybe. The most interesting thing is that both genera have very different ecological niches.
(paper) onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
The process by which it occurs in the genus Psilocybe is completely different from that in Inocybe. The most interesting thing is that both genera have very different ecological niches.
(paper) onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
October 16, 2025 at 6:16 PM
1/4 Psilocybin has evolved twice in fungi
The process by which it occurs in the genus Psilocybe is completely different from that in Inocybe. The most interesting thing is that both genera have very different ecological niches.
(paper) onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
The process by which it occurs in the genus Psilocybe is completely different from that in Inocybe. The most interesting thing is that both genera have very different ecological niches.
(paper) onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
How do humans keep inventing tools and technologies that no single person could create alone?
Our new preprint, led by
@anilyaman.bsky.social & @ts-brain.bsky.social
shows that semantic knowledge guides innovation and drives cultural evolution. 🧠📘 arxiv.org/abs/2510.12837
Our new preprint, led by
@anilyaman.bsky.social & @ts-brain.bsky.social
shows that semantic knowledge guides innovation and drives cultural evolution. 🧠📘 arxiv.org/abs/2510.12837
October 16, 2025 at 1:49 PM
How do humans keep inventing tools and technologies that no single person could create alone?
Our new preprint, led by
@anilyaman.bsky.social & @ts-brain.bsky.social
shows that semantic knowledge guides innovation and drives cultural evolution. 🧠📘 arxiv.org/abs/2510.12837
Our new preprint, led by
@anilyaman.bsky.social & @ts-brain.bsky.social
shows that semantic knowledge guides innovation and drives cultural evolution. 🧠📘 arxiv.org/abs/2510.12837
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
Evidence that even when LLMs produce similar results to humans, they “rely on lexical associations and statistical priors rather than contextual reasoning or normative criteria. We term this divergence epistemia: the illusion of knowledge emerging when surface plausibility replaces verification”
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
October 17, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Evidence that even when LLMs produce similar results to humans, they “rely on lexical associations and statistical priors rather than contextual reasoning or normative criteria. We term this divergence epistemia: the illusion of knowledge emerging when surface plausibility replaces verification”
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
📣 You can now check the #CRSy25 ⚪ programme! Explore the main themes:
🔎 Scaling up
➰ Cybernetic Loops
🤖Models and Robots
🎟️ symposium.fchampalimaud.science/registration-1
👉 symposium.fchampalimaud.science/programme
🗓️15-17 October
📍Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon
@protocollabs.bsky.social
🔎 Scaling up
➰ Cybernetic Loops
🤖Models and Robots
🎟️ symposium.fchampalimaud.science/registration-1
👉 symposium.fchampalimaud.science/programme
🗓️15-17 October
📍Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon
@protocollabs.bsky.social
September 22, 2025 at 1:54 PM
📣 You can now check the #CRSy25 ⚪ programme! Explore the main themes:
🔎 Scaling up
➰ Cybernetic Loops
🤖Models and Robots
🎟️ symposium.fchampalimaud.science/registration-1
👉 symposium.fchampalimaud.science/programme
🗓️15-17 October
📍Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon
@protocollabs.bsky.social
🔎 Scaling up
➰ Cybernetic Loops
🤖Models and Robots
🎟️ symposium.fchampalimaud.science/registration-1
👉 symposium.fchampalimaud.science/programme
🗓️15-17 October
📍Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon
@protocollabs.bsky.social
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
My little book on Schrödinger's famous classic 'What Is Life?' is out! Offering the most comprehensive analysis ever undertaken of the book's origins, reception, impact, and legacy, it uncovers Schrödinger's motivations in writing it, and shows how it has shaped our current understanding of the cell
<i>What Is Life?</i> Revisited
Cambridge Core - Philosophy: General Interest - <i>What Is Life?</i> Revisited
www.cambridge.org
October 10, 2025 at 1:52 PM
My little book on Schrödinger's famous classic 'What Is Life?' is out! Offering the most comprehensive analysis ever undertaken of the book's origins, reception, impact, and legacy, it uncovers Schrödinger's motivations in writing it, and shows how it has shaped our current understanding of the cell
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
Can general artificial intelligence emerge by not following the evolution of complex brains? In this 2022 paper with @brigan.bsky.social we argued that embodiment, mind reading (mirror systems), mental time traveling... are necessary conditions
www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/24... @anilseth.bsky.social
www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/24... @anilseth.bsky.social
October 11, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Can general artificial intelligence emerge by not following the evolution of complex brains? In this 2022 paper with @brigan.bsky.social we argued that embodiment, mind reading (mirror systems), mental time traveling... are necessary conditions
www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/24... @anilseth.bsky.social
www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/24... @anilseth.bsky.social
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
Finally out: our recent work with Nick Betley is a view into how the brain reshapes its behavior in the face of competing survival needs- and also a potential angle on treatment targets for enduring pain.
A brief rundown...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A brief rundown...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A parabrachial hub for need-state control of enduring pain - Nature
Activity in a set of parabranchial neurons in the mouse brain is increased during chronic pain, predicts coping behaviour, and can be modulated by circuits activated by survival threats.
www.nature.com
October 9, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Finally out: our recent work with Nick Betley is a view into how the brain reshapes its behavior in the face of competing survival needs- and also a potential angle on treatment targets for enduring pain.
A brief rundown...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A brief rundown...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
Do AI reasoning models abstract and reason like humans?
New paper on this from my group:
arxiv.org/abs/2510.02125
🧵 1/10
New paper on this from my group:
arxiv.org/abs/2510.02125
🧵 1/10
Do AI Models Perform Human-like Abstract Reasoning Across Modalities?
OpenAI's o3-preview reasoning model exceeded human accuracy on the ARC-AGI benchmark, but does that mean state-of-the-art models recognize and reason with the abstractions that the task creators inten...
arxiv.org
October 6, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Do AI reasoning models abstract and reason like humans?
New paper on this from my group:
arxiv.org/abs/2510.02125
🧵 1/10
New paper on this from my group:
arxiv.org/abs/2510.02125
🧵 1/10
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
Robot personhood/rights is conceptually bogus and legally puts more power/rights in the hands of those that develop and deploy robots/AI systems
firstmonday.org/ojs/index.ph...
firstmonday.org/ojs/index.ph...
October 5, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Robot personhood/rights is conceptually bogus and legally puts more power/rights in the hands of those that develop and deploy robots/AI systems
firstmonday.org/ojs/index.ph...
firstmonday.org/ojs/index.ph...
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
This is an awe-inspiring and fascinating study that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. However, the overall framing in terms of "innate versus learned” is unnecessary. The innate versus acquired dichotomy is outdated and has been for a long time. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Learned use of an innate sound-meaning association in birds - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Over 20 species of geographically and phylogenetically diverse bird species produce convergent whining vocalizations towards their respective brood parasites. Model presentation and playback experiments across multiple continents suggest that these learned calls provoke an innate response even among allopatric species.
www.nature.com
October 3, 2025 at 7:29 PM
This is an awe-inspiring and fascinating study that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. However, the overall framing in terms of "innate versus learned” is unnecessary. The innate versus acquired dichotomy is outdated and has been for a long time. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺
Is consciousness tied to biological brains?
Neuro&Philo Salon present+discussion with @anilseth.bsky.social of his BBS target paper!
October 23, noon USA eastern
#neuroskyence
Register: umd.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
doi.org/10.1017/S014...
Is consciousness tied to biological brains?
Neuro&Philo Salon present+discussion with @anilseth.bsky.social of his BBS target paper!
October 23, noon USA eastern
#neuroskyence
Register: umd.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
doi.org/10.1017/S014...
October 5, 2025 at 12:14 PM
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺
Is consciousness tied to biological brains?
Neuro&Philo Salon present+discussion with @anilseth.bsky.social of his BBS target paper!
October 23, noon USA eastern
#neuroskyence
Register: umd.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
doi.org/10.1017/S014...
Is consciousness tied to biological brains?
Neuro&Philo Salon present+discussion with @anilseth.bsky.social of his BBS target paper!
October 23, noon USA eastern
#neuroskyence
Register: umd.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
doi.org/10.1017/S014...
Reposted by Ismael T. Freire
It is often argued that the origin of life must be related to "phase transitions"
This concept is often misused, or even abused.
In a new paper with @ricardsole.bsky.social we discuss which types of transitions might be involved and some relevant models.
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....
This concept is often misused, or even abused.
In a new paper with @ricardsole.bsky.social we discuss which types of transitions might be involved and some relevant models.
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....
Bifurcations and phase transitions in the origins of life | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
The path towards the emergence of life in our biosphere involved several key events allowing for the persistence, reproduction and evolution of molecular systems. All these processes took place in a given environmental context and required both molecular ...
royalsocietypublishing.org
October 2, 2025 at 6:53 PM
It is often argued that the origin of life must be related to "phase transitions"
This concept is often misused, or even abused.
In a new paper with @ricardsole.bsky.social we discuss which types of transitions might be involved and some relevant models.
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....
This concept is often misused, or even abused.
In a new paper with @ricardsole.bsky.social we discuss which types of transitions might be involved and some relevant models.
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....