LLMs, Cognitive Science, Linguistics, and Neuroscience

At a conceptual level, LLMs profoundly change the landscape for theories of human language, of the brain and computation, and of the nature of human intelligence. In linguistics, they provide a new way to think about grammar, semantics, and conceptual representation. In neuroscience, vector models provide a new approach to computational models of the brain. In cognitive science, they challenge our notions of what are the essential elements of human intelligence. And more the remarkable capabilities of LLMs now outstrip our ability to scientifically understand them. The time is ripe to assemble a group of interdisciplinary researchers who study linguistics, cognitive science, neuroscience, theory of LLMs, and applications of LLM to science to explore what we can all learn from each other’s perspectives.  For example how do the behaviors and neural representations of LLMs compare to those of humans when processing language?  How do we understand the mechanisms of language processing in LLMs?  How can we better apply LLMs more robustly and rigorously to complex scientific domains?   

If you require special accommodation, please contact our access coordinator at simonsevents@berkeley.edu with as much advance notice as possible.

Please note: the Simons Institute regularly captures photos and video of activity around the Institute for use in videos, publications, and promotional materials.