I Am Therefore I Think - The Free Energy Principle and Active Inference

Explore the free energy principle through this distinguished lecture that presents a mathematical framework linking dynamical systems to perception, beliefs, and consciousness. Delve into Karl Friston's groundbreaking theory that reframes Descartes' famous proposition by arguing that existence itself necessitates belief formation and predictive modeling of the external world. Examine how internal states of any system - from single-cell organisms to human brains - can be interpreted as encoding probabilistic beliefs about external causes of sensory input. Discover the fundamental argument that systems existing through predictive mechanisms must maintain prior beliefs about environmental predictability, which translates to believing that the world will resolve uncertainty about sensory causes. Learn about the epistemic behaviors that emerge under these beliefs through simulations of active inference, connecting formal mathematical descriptions of random dynamical systems to conscious operations and the active inference of sensory causes. Gain insights into how this framework associates conscious operations with the process of actively inferring what causes our sensations, providing a novel perspective on embodied interaction with the world.