{"id":19330,"date":"2025-04-14T13:50:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T13:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/19330\/"},"modified":"2025-04-14T13:50:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T13:50:10","slug":"how-psychology-has-shaped-and-continues-to-shape-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/19330\/","title":{"rendered":"How Psychology Has Shaped, and Continues to Shape, AI"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Summary: <\/strong>Psychology has been instrumental in the evolution of artificial intelligence, offering foundational insights into learning, cognition, and behavior that have shaped key AI technologies. From early neural networks based on Hebbian learning to modern deep learning and metacognition, psychological theories continue to inform AI\u2019s development.<\/p>\n<p>Recent breakthroughs, such as OpenAI\u2019s progress on reasoning tests, reflect the growing importance of cognitive principles in AI research. As AI and human interaction deepens, psychology is poised to guide how machines learn, reason, and potentially reshape our own cognitive capabilities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Key Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Historical Roots:<\/strong> AI\u2019s foundational technologies, like neural networks, were inspired by psychological theories of how the brain learns.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Modern Applications:<\/strong> Cognitive concepts such as fluid intelligence and metacognition are now guiding AI\u2019s development toward more human-like reasoning.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Future Impact:<\/strong> As AI becomes more integrated into daily life, psychology will play a central role in understanding how technology alters human thought and behavior.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong>The Conversation<\/p>\n<p><strong>Many people think of psychology as being primarily about mental health, but its story goes far beyond that.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As the science of the mind, psychology has played a pivotal role in shaping artificial intelligence, offering insights into human cognition, learning and behaviour that have profoundly influenced AI\u2019s development.<\/p>\n<p>These contributions not only laid the foundations for AI but also continue to guide its future development. The study of psychology has shaped our understanding of what constitutes intelligence in machines, and how we can address the complex challenges and benefits associated with this technology.<\/p>\n<p>Machines mimicking nature<\/p>\n<p>The origins of modern AI can be traced back to psychology in the mid-20th century. In 1949, psychologist\u00a0Donald Hebb\u00a0proposed a model for how the brain learns: connections between brain cells grow stronger when they are active at the same time.<\/p>\n<p>This idea gave a hint of how machines might learn by mimicking nature\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n<p>In the 1950s, psychologist Frank Rosenblatt\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/h0042519\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">built on Hebb\u2019s theory<\/a>\u00a0to develop a system called the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.cornell.edu\/stories\/2019\/09\/professors-perceptron-paved-way-ai-60-years-too-soon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">perceptron<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The perceptron was the\u00a0first artificial neural network\u00a0ever made. It ran on the same principle as modern AI systems, in which computers learn by adjusting connections within a network based on data rather than relying on programmed instructions.<\/p>\n<p>A scientific understanding of intelligence<\/p>\n<p>In the 1980s, psychologist\u00a0David Rumelhart\u00a0improved on Rosenblatt\u2019s perceptron. He applied a method called\u00a0backpropagation, which uses principles of calculus to help neural networks improve through feedback.<\/p>\n<p>Backpropagation was originally developed by Paul Werbos, who\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com.au\/books\/edition\/The_Roots_of_Backpropagation\/WdR3OOM2gBwC?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a>\u00a0the technique \u201copens up the possibility of a scientific understanding of intelligence, as important to psychology and neurophysiology as Newton\u2019s concepts were to physics\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Rumelhart\u2019s 1986\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/323533a0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">paper<\/a>, coauthored with Ronald Williams and\u00a0Geoffrey Hinton, is often credited with sparking the modern era of artificial neural networks. This work laid the foundation for deep learning innovations such as large language models.<\/p>\n<p>In 2024, the Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to Hinton and John Hopfield for work on artificial neural networks. Notably, the Nobel committee, in its\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nobelprize.org\/uploads\/2024\/11\/advanced-physicsprize2024-3.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scientific report<\/a>, highlighted the crucial role psychologists played in the development of artificial neural networks.<\/p>\n<p>Hinton, who holds a degree in psychology,\u00a0acknowledged\u00a0standing on the shoulders of giants such as Rumelhart when receiving his prize.<\/p>\n<p>Self-reflection and understanding<\/p>\n<p>Psychology continues to play an important role in shaping the future of AI. It offers theoretical insights to address some of the field\u2019s biggest challenges, including reflective reasoning, intelligence and decision-making.<\/p>\n<p>Microsoft founder Bill Gates recently\u00a0pointed out\u00a0a key limitation of today\u2019s AI systems. They can\u2019t engage in reflective reasoning, or what psychologists call metacognition.<\/p>\n<p>In the 1970s, developmental psychologist\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/0003-066X.34.10.906\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">John Flavell<\/a>\u00a0introduced the idea of metacognition. He used it to explain how children master complex skills by reflecting on and understanding their own thinking.<\/p>\n<p>Decades later, this psychological framework is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2411.02478\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">gaining attention<\/a>\u00a0as a potential pathway to advancing AI.<\/p>\n<p>Fluid intelligence<\/p>\n<p>Psychological theory is increasingly being applied to improve AI systems, particularly by enhancing their capacity for solving novel problems.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, computer scientist\u00a0Fran\u00e7ois Chollet\u00a0highlights the importance of\u00a0fluid intelligence, which psychologists define as the ability to solve new problems without prior experience or training.<\/p>\n<p>In a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/1911.01547\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2019 paper<\/a>, Chollet introduced a test inspired by principles from cognitive psychology to measure how well AI systems can handle new problems. The test \u2013 known as the\u00a0Abstract and Reasoning Corpus for Artificial General Intelligence (ARC-AGI)\u00a0\u2013 provided a kind of guide for making AI systems think and reason in more human-like ways.<\/p>\n<p>In late 2024, OpenAI\u2019s o3 model demonstrated\u00a0notable success\u00a0on Chollet\u2019s test, showing progress in creating AI systems that can adapt and solve a wider range of problems.<\/p>\n<p>The risk of explanations<\/p>\n<p>Another goal of current research is to make AI systems more able to explain their output. Here, too, psychology offers valuable insights.<\/p>\n<p>Computer scientist\u00a0Edward Lee\u00a0has drawn on the work of psychologist\u00a0Daniel Kahneman\u00a0to highlight why requiring AI systems to explain themselves might be risky.<\/p>\n<p>Kahneman showed how humans often justify their decisions with explanations created after the fact, which don\u2019t reflect their true reasoning. For example,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/21482790\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">studies<\/a>\u00a0have found that judges\u2019 rulings fluctuate depending on when they last ate \u2014\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/1468-2230.12424\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">despite their firm belief in their own impartiality<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Lee cautions that AI systems could produce similarly misleading explanations. Because rationalisations can be deceptive, Lee argues AI research should focus on reliable outcomes instead.<\/p>\n<p>Technology shaping our minds<\/p>\n<p>The science of psychology remains widely misunderstood. In 2020, for example, the Australian government proposed\u00a0reclassifying it as part of the humanities\u00a0in universities.<\/p>\n<p>As people increasingly interact with machines, AI, psychology and neuroscience may hold key insights into our future.<\/p>\n<p>Our brains are extremely adaptable, and technology shapes how we think and learn.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC18253\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Research<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0psychologist\u00a0and neuroscientist\u00a0Eleanor Maguire, for example, revealed that the brains of London taxi drivers are physically altered by using a car to navigate a complex city.<\/p>\n<p>As AI advances, future psychological research may reveal how AI systems enhance our abilities and unlock new ways of thinking.<\/p>\n<p>By recognising psychology\u2019s role in AI, we can foster a future in which people and technology work together for a better world.<\/p>\n<p>About this AI and psychology research news<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ffffe8\"><strong>Author: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/chris-ludlow-2298319\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chris Ludlow<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/armita-zarnegar-2298430\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Armita Zarnegar<\/a><br \/><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Conversation<\/a><br \/><strong>Contact: <\/strong>Chris Ludlow, Armita Zarnegar \u2013 The Conversation<br \/><strong>Image: <\/strong>The image is credited to Neuroscience News<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1744638610_543_count.gif\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\"\/>    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Summary: Psychology has been instrumental in the evolution of artificial intelligence, offering foundational insights into learning, cognition, and&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19331,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3163],"tags":[323,1942,215,3725,12670,756,3690,219,220,222,53,11368,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-19330","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-artificial-intelligence","8":"tag-ai","9":"tag-artificial-intelligence","10":"tag-brain-research","11":"tag-deep-learning","12":"tag-hebbian-learning","13":"tag-learning","14":"tag-machine-learning","15":"tag-neurobiology","16":"tag-neuroscience","17":"tag-psychology","18":"tag-technology","19":"tag-the-conversation","20":"tag-uk","21":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114336643509178745","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19330"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19330\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}