ari ☀️
@khoudary.bsky.social
phd researcher in cognitive sciences @ uc irvine. working on evidence accumulation, metacognition, memory, and philosophy of cognitive [neuro]science 🧠 they/them 🏳️🌈 ⚧️ 🇸🇾 https://arikhoudary.com/
Pinned
ari ☀️
@khoudary.bsky.social
· May 20
Reasoning Goals and Representational Decisions in Computational Cognitive Neuroscience: Lessons From the Drift Diffusion Model
The appropriate form of the drift diffusion model depends on how one wishes to reason about their target with the model. If the goal is to parsimoniously explain the speed-accuracy tradeoff, the appr...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
super excited that the first paper from my PhD is now out! we develop a "philosophical toolkit" for computational cognitive modeling & use it to conceptually re-analyze a long-standing debate about evidence accumulation models of decision making 🧠📈 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by ari ☀️
I am accepting graduate students for the UCI Cognitive Sciences PhD program for Fall 2026. Check out my lab website - www.relcoglab.org for our recent themes. Our funded work focuses on combinatorial reasoning, moral decision-making, and conceptual cognition in humans and large language models.
Relational Cognition Lab
www.relcoglab.org
November 5, 2025 at 8:09 AM
I am accepting graduate students for the UCI Cognitive Sciences PhD program for Fall 2026. Check out my lab website - www.relcoglab.org for our recent themes. Our funded work focuses on combinatorial reasoning, moral decision-making, and conceptual cognition in humans and large language models.
Reposted by ari ☀️
Friends (and friends-of-friends) in LA: Please help spread the word!
On Saturday, November 15th 2p, @mameister4.bsky.social and I will be in conversation at the Burbank Library discussing bottlenecks and next steps for brain research.
It's free! Register here:
burbank.libnet.info/event/14639190
On Saturday, November 15th 2p, @mameister4.bsky.social and I will be in conversation at the Burbank Library discussing bottlenecks and next steps for brain research.
It's free! Register here:
burbank.libnet.info/event/14639190
November 3, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Friends (and friends-of-friends) in LA: Please help spread the word!
On Saturday, November 15th 2p, @mameister4.bsky.social and I will be in conversation at the Burbank Library discussing bottlenecks and next steps for brain research.
It's free! Register here:
burbank.libnet.info/event/14639190
On Saturday, November 15th 2p, @mameister4.bsky.social and I will be in conversation at the Burbank Library discussing bottlenecks and next steps for brain research.
It's free! Register here:
burbank.libnet.info/event/14639190
Reposted by ari ☀️
🚨 New preprint 🚨
How do people's mental models shape memory, prediction, and generalization? We find that people spontaneously construct goal-dependent causal abstractions that compress experience to privilege relevant information.
📃 osf.io/preprints/ps...
🔗 github.com/cicl-stanfor...
How do people's mental models shape memory, prediction, and generalization? We find that people spontaneously construct goal-dependent causal abstractions that compress experience to privilege relevant information.
📃 osf.io/preprints/ps...
🔗 github.com/cicl-stanfor...
October 24, 2025 at 7:15 PM
🚨 New preprint 🚨
How do people's mental models shape memory, prediction, and generalization? We find that people spontaneously construct goal-dependent causal abstractions that compress experience to privilege relevant information.
📃 osf.io/preprints/ps...
🔗 github.com/cicl-stanfor...
How do people's mental models shape memory, prediction, and generalization? We find that people spontaneously construct goal-dependent causal abstractions that compress experience to privilege relevant information.
📃 osf.io/preprints/ps...
🔗 github.com/cicl-stanfor...
Reposted by ari ☀️
I will be recruiting 🌟PhD students🌟 for my newish lab! If you're interested in learning & memory mechanisms applied to individual, interactive & collective behavior using computational modeling, real-world experiments and fMRI, email me! RTs much appreciated 🙏 rouhanilab.com
Interactive Cognition Lab | USC
Interactive Cognition Lab at USC, led by principal investigator, Dr. Nina Rouhani.
rouhanilab.com
October 24, 2025 at 4:57 PM
I will be recruiting 🌟PhD students🌟 for my newish lab! If you're interested in learning & memory mechanisms applied to individual, interactive & collective behavior using computational modeling, real-world experiments and fMRI, email me! RTs much appreciated 🙏 rouhanilab.com
Reposted by ari ☀️
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 ari ☀️
“…for an AI chatbot to generate an autopsy report, contract workers have to sift through thousands of gruesome crime scene images, a gig known as ‘data labeling.’”
The AI Industry Is Traumatizing Desperate Contractors in the Developing World for Pennies
AI is propped up by a global sweat shop operation, where exploited workers polish the software for wealthy corporations in the west.
futurism.com
October 19, 2025 at 2:51 PM
“…for an AI chatbot to generate an autopsy report, contract workers have to sift through thousands of gruesome crime scene images, a gig known as ‘data labeling.’”
Reposted by ari ☀️
A compressed code for memory discrimination https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.12.681901v1
October 13, 2025 at 10:15 AM
A compressed code for memory discrimination https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.12.681901v1
Reposted by ari ☀️
Microsoft will no longer allow Israel to use its cloud services to enable its mass surveillance of occupied Palestinians – "the first known case of a US technology company withdrawing services provided to the Israeli military since the beginning of its war on Gaza"
Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its technology in mass surveillance of Palestinians
Exclusive: Tech firm ends military unit’s access to AI and data services after Guardian reveals secret spy project
www.theguardian.com
September 25, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Microsoft will no longer allow Israel to use its cloud services to enable its mass surveillance of occupied Palestinians – "the first known case of a US technology company withdrawing services provided to the Israeli military since the beginning of its war on Gaza"
i always knew writing my dissertation was going to be tedious, intimidating, overwhelming, etc. but no one ever told me it was also going to be *fun* 😳
September 19, 2025 at 10:53 PM
i always knew writing my dissertation was going to be tedious, intimidating, overwhelming, etc. but no one ever told me it was also going to be *fun* 😳
Reposted by ari ☀️
join the protest: YES!
register for the protest: NO!
register for the protest: NO!
Do NOT sign up for a protest
do not make yourselves a bigger and easier target.
this is basic opsec
do not make yourselves a bigger and easier target.
this is basic opsec
We need your help to make October 18 the biggest peaceful protest of the year. Please spread the word, register your local event as soon as you can, and start RSVPing for the local protests to help build momentum: www.nokings.org?SQF_SOURCE=i...
September 16, 2025 at 5:57 PM
join the protest: YES!
register for the protest: NO!
register for the protest: NO!
Reposted by ari ☀️
From student to 3-time TA, Shahrzad M. Esfahan’s journey shows how Neuromatch Academy opens doors to global science and community 🌍🧠✨
➡️ Read her story: www.linkedin.com/posts/neurom...
#MyNeuromatchStory #ComputationalNeuroscience #STEMEducation #Neuroscience #DeepLearning
➡️ Read her story: www.linkedin.com/posts/neurom...
#MyNeuromatchStory #ComputationalNeuroscience #STEMEducation #Neuroscience #DeepLearning
August 30, 2025 at 9:10 AM
From student to 3-time TA, Shahrzad M. Esfahan’s journey shows how Neuromatch Academy opens doors to global science and community 🌍🧠✨
➡️ Read her story: www.linkedin.com/posts/neurom...
#MyNeuromatchStory #ComputationalNeuroscience #STEMEducation #Neuroscience #DeepLearning
➡️ Read her story: www.linkedin.com/posts/neurom...
#MyNeuromatchStory #ComputationalNeuroscience #STEMEducation #Neuroscience #DeepLearning
Reposted by ari ☀️
personally i do not think human rights should be up for “debate” but what do i know, i’m emotional and biased because those are my rights they’re talking about
The Pod Save America bros are setting up a "debate" about trans rights featuring anti-trans ghoul Matt Yglesias, apparently! No clue who the "pro-trans" side will be repped by, but I'm really worried that they're going to just find someone to get steamrolled.
so there’s gonna potentially be a pod save america “debate” on democrats future support for trans rights in the near future
i had to back out because of scheduling conflicts, and for some reason they didn’t want my help finding a replacement
on the other side of the “debate” is…
matt yglesias
i had to back out because of scheduling conflicts, and for some reason they didn’t want my help finding a replacement
on the other side of the “debate” is…
matt yglesias
August 27, 2025 at 11:05 PM
personally i do not think human rights should be up for “debate” but what do i know, i’m emotional and biased because those are my rights they’re talking about
Reposted by ari ☀️
New opinion piece!
@amirtal.bsky.social and I argue that "wake reactivation" is not a scientifically useful construct; It encompasses nonconscious & conscious processes w/ varying levels of elaboration & diverging consequences, leading to conflicting results
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lgli4sIRvW-LQ
@amirtal.bsky.social and I argue that "wake reactivation" is not a scientifically useful construct; It encompasses nonconscious & conscious processes w/ varying levels of elaboration & diverging consequences, leading to conflicting results
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lgli4sIRvW-LQ
authors.elsevier.com
August 28, 2025 at 3:26 PM
New opinion piece!
@amirtal.bsky.social and I argue that "wake reactivation" is not a scientifically useful construct; It encompasses nonconscious & conscious processes w/ varying levels of elaboration & diverging consequences, leading to conflicting results
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lgli4sIRvW-LQ
@amirtal.bsky.social and I argue that "wake reactivation" is not a scientifically useful construct; It encompasses nonconscious & conscious processes w/ varying levels of elaboration & diverging consequences, leading to conflicting results
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lgli4sIRvW-LQ
Reposted by ari ☀️
How much does the environment we’re raised in change how we see the world? Wonderful piece in @sciam.bsky.social by @norabradford.bsky.social, ft. an interview with @dorsaamir.bsky.social about our work on the 'cultural byproduct hypothesis'.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/does...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/does...
Why a Classic Psychology Theory about Vision Has Fallen Apart
The downfall of a long-standing theory in psychology raises a question: How much does the environment we’re raised in change how we literally see the world?
www.scientificamerican.com
August 22, 2025 at 5:06 PM
How much does the environment we’re raised in change how we see the world? Wonderful piece in @sciam.bsky.social by @norabradford.bsky.social, ft. an interview with @dorsaamir.bsky.social about our work on the 'cultural byproduct hypothesis'.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/does...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/does...
Reposted by ari ☀️
Therefore: Please don't use LLMs as research participants. LLMs do not simulate human psychology. (11/12)
August 12, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Therefore: Please don't use LLMs as research participants. LLMs do not simulate human psychology. (11/12)
seriously 😭 pls keep posting your posters & papers, especially if you work on expectations in perceptual decision making 🤲
So much CCN fomo right now — hope everyone has fun this year!
August 11, 2025 at 5:54 PM
seriously 😭 pls keep posting your posters & papers, especially if you work on expectations in perceptual decision making 🤲
Reposted by ari ☀️
Are you planning to attend #CCN2025? Do you want to reflect on how to direct your skills and aptitudes to tackle today's most pressing social problems? Make sure you come to Amsterdam a day early to attend our satellite event on Science for Social Good. Register here: forms.gle/TFRCZYX2qfwD...
CCN for social good - satellite registration
See https://anneurai.net/2025/05/05/ccn-for-social-good-2025-satellite-event/ for more information
forms.gle
July 4, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Are you planning to attend #CCN2025? Do you want to reflect on how to direct your skills and aptitudes to tackle today's most pressing social problems? Make sure you come to Amsterdam a day early to attend our satellite event on Science for Social Good. Register here: forms.gle/TFRCZYX2qfwD...
Reposted by ari ☀️
I’m looking forward to our symposium at @ispsm.bsky.social on Sat at 5:30pm CEST. Zoom in to catch me, @kenaizawa.bsky.social, @gualtiero.bsky.social, and @francesegan.bsky.social talk about realism in Neuroscience! 🧠 🥳
August 9, 2025 at 2:03 AM
I’m looking forward to our symposium at @ispsm.bsky.social on Sat at 5:30pm CEST. Zoom in to catch me, @kenaizawa.bsky.social, @gualtiero.bsky.social, and @francesegan.bsky.social talk about realism in Neuroscience! 🧠 🥳
Reposted by ari ☀️
Sign a letter demanding that UC and the state of California refuse to appease the fascists any further:
tinyurl.com/ucstandup
tinyurl.com/ucstandup
August 4, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Sign a letter demanding that UC and the state of California refuse to appease the fascists any further:
tinyurl.com/ucstandup
tinyurl.com/ucstandup
Reposted by ari ☀️
presenting today at #CogSci2025🚀
come check out my poster on how stress & state anxiety influence the representation of info needed for visual working memory & decision-making🧠!
underline.io/events/489/p...
📍P2-K-92, Salon 8
🕐 Fri Aug 1, 10:30 AM
come check out my poster on how stress & state anxiety influence the representation of info needed for visual working memory & decision-making🧠!
underline.io/events/489/p...
📍P2-K-92, Salon 8
🕐 Fri Aug 1, 10:30 AM
August 1, 2025 at 3:44 PM
presenting today at #CogSci2025🚀
come check out my poster on how stress & state anxiety influence the representation of info needed for visual working memory & decision-making🧠!
underline.io/events/489/p...
📍P2-K-92, Salon 8
🕐 Fri Aug 1, 10:30 AM
come check out my poster on how stress & state anxiety influence the representation of info needed for visual working memory & decision-making🧠!
underline.io/events/489/p...
📍P2-K-92, Salon 8
🕐 Fri Aug 1, 10:30 AM
Reposted by ari ☀️
💫 Just out! A tour de force by my colleague @olivia.science, new paper 📝:
What Does 'Human-Centred AI' Mean? 🧮 ⏰ 🧠
Keywords: AI; cognitive science; sociotechnical relationship; cognitive labour; ANN; technology; cognition; human-centred AI
Link to the paper on arXiv: lnkd.in/e9nHGkMK 1/n
What Does 'Human-Centred AI' Mean? 🧮 ⏰ 🧠
Keywords: AI; cognitive science; sociotechnical relationship; cognitive labour; ANN; technology; cognition; human-centred AI
Link to the paper on arXiv: lnkd.in/e9nHGkMK 1/n
July 29, 2025 at 6:31 PM
💫 Just out! A tour de force by my colleague @olivia.science, new paper 📝:
What Does 'Human-Centred AI' Mean? 🧮 ⏰ 🧠
Keywords: AI; cognitive science; sociotechnical relationship; cognitive labour; ANN; technology; cognition; human-centred AI
Link to the paper on arXiv: lnkd.in/e9nHGkMK 1/n
What Does 'Human-Centred AI' Mean? 🧮 ⏰ 🧠
Keywords: AI; cognitive science; sociotechnical relationship; cognitive labour; ANN; technology; cognition; human-centred AI
Link to the paper on arXiv: lnkd.in/e9nHGkMK 1/n
Reposted by ari ☀️
Accepted in the European Journal of Neuroscience:
"Wider than the Sky: An Alternative to “Mapping” the World onto the Brain"
(Barwich, A.S., Firestein, S., and M. Dietrich)
Open Access link to journal as soon as the paper is online!
Preprint: osf.io/preprints/ps...
#NeuroSky #PhilSky #HPS
"Wider than the Sky: An Alternative to “Mapping” the World onto the Brain"
(Barwich, A.S., Firestein, S., and M. Dietrich)
Open Access link to journal as soon as the paper is online!
Preprint: osf.io/preprints/ps...
#NeuroSky #PhilSky #HPS
July 26, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Accepted in the European Journal of Neuroscience:
"Wider than the Sky: An Alternative to “Mapping” the World onto the Brain"
(Barwich, A.S., Firestein, S., and M. Dietrich)
Open Access link to journal as soon as the paper is online!
Preprint: osf.io/preprints/ps...
#NeuroSky #PhilSky #HPS
"Wider than the Sky: An Alternative to “Mapping” the World onto the Brain"
(Barwich, A.S., Firestein, S., and M. Dietrich)
Open Access link to journal as soon as the paper is online!
Preprint: osf.io/preprints/ps...
#NeuroSky #PhilSky #HPS
Reposted by ari ☀️
Detecting dementia earlier | With $4 million grant, UC Irvine cognitive scientist Aaron Bornstein seeks to develop inexpensive assessment of cognitive ability
@ucirvine.bsky.social @aaronbornstein.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social
@ucirvine.bsky.social @aaronbornstein.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social
Detecting dementia earlier
With $4 million grant, UC Irvine researcher seeks to develop inexpensive assessment of cognitive ability
news.uci.edu
July 14, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Detecting dementia earlier | With $4 million grant, UC Irvine cognitive scientist Aaron Bornstein seeks to develop inexpensive assessment of cognitive ability
@ucirvine.bsky.social @aaronbornstein.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social
@ucirvine.bsky.social @aaronbornstein.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social
Reposted by ari ☀️
NO. AI. FOR. WAR. CRIMES!!!
July 8, 2025 at 10:07 AM
NO. AI. FOR. WAR. CRIMES!!!
check out this blogpost where I share some of the behind-the-scenes motivations for this new paper w/ @meganakpeters.bsky.social & @aaronbornstein.bsky.social!
v grateful to get to share how philosophy helped me move thru the "existemic" angst that is years 3-4 of a comp cog neuro phd 🥲 🧠 🖥️
v grateful to get to share how philosophy helped me move thru the "existemic" angst that is years 3-4 of a comp cog neuro phd 🥲 🧠 🖥️
New post on THE FEEDBACK featuring a new paper by Ari Khoudary & others titled: 'Reasoning Goals and Representational Decisions in Computational Cognitive Neuroscience: Lessons From the Drift Diffusion Model' out now in the European Journal of Neuroscience!
thefeedback.blog/2025/07/02/r...
thefeedback.blog/2025/07/02/r...
Reasoning Goals and Representational Decisions in Computational Cognitive Neuroscience: Lessons From the Drift Diffusion Model // By: Ari Khoudary, Megan A.K. Peters, and Aaron Bornstein
Reasoning Goals and Representational Decisions in Computational Cognitive Neuroscience: Lessons From the Drift Diffusion ModelBy: Ari Khoudary (UC Irvine), Megan A.K. Peters (UC Irvine), & Aaro…
thefeedback.blog
July 3, 2025 at 6:25 PM
check out this blogpost where I share some of the behind-the-scenes motivations for this new paper w/ @meganakpeters.bsky.social & @aaronbornstein.bsky.social!
v grateful to get to share how philosophy helped me move thru the "existemic" angst that is years 3-4 of a comp cog neuro phd 🥲 🧠 🖥️
v grateful to get to share how philosophy helped me move thru the "existemic" angst that is years 3-4 of a comp cog neuro phd 🥲 🧠 🖥️