From evolutionary ecosystem simulations to computational models of human behavior

We have a wide breadth of computational tools available today that enable a more ethical approach to the study of human cognition and behavior. We argue that the use of computer models to study evolving ecosystems provides a rich source of inspiration, as they enable the study of complex systems that change over time. Often employing a combination of genetic algorithms and agent-based models, these methods span theoretical approaches from games to complexification, nature-inspired methods from studies of self-replication to the evolution of eyes, and evolutionary ecosystems of humans, from entire economies to the effects of personalities in teamwork. The review of works provided here illustrates the power of evolutionary ecosystem simulations and how they enable new insights for researchers. They also demonstrate a novel methodology of hypothesis exploration: building a computational model that encapsulates a hypothesis of human cognition enables it to be tested under different conditions, with its predictions compared to real data to enable corroboration. Such computational models of human behavior provide us with virtual test labs in which unlimited experiments can be performed. This article is categorized under: Computer Science and Robotics > Artificial Intelligence

GeNeSys - sistema de co-evolución genética y neuro-memética para la auto-organización senso-motriz y conductual en una sociedad de robots

Bio-inspired computing can be used to model natural and social systems, including societies with cultural development. Currently, two positions on cultural evolution stand out: with and without replicators. The existence of memes, as cultural replicators, is still hypothetical, and it seems better to look for them in the brain, because they can only be: neuro-memes. In literature there are only two models inspired by the neuro-memetics, and culture evolves side by side with genetics, so it’s necessary to model a gene-culture co-evolution, with neuro-memes. Such a model would be used to help validate the neuro-memetics, on the one hand, and on the other hand, it would help to understand and heal serious problems in human societies. Here, a genetic and neuro-memetic co-evolutionary system was achieved, and a robotic society used it for survive by developing behavioural patterns as a cultural tradition.La computación bio-inspirada puede ser empleada para modelar sistemas naturales y sociales, entre los cuales están las sociedades con desarrollo cultural. En la actualidad, sobresalen dos posturas sobre la evolución cultural: con y sin replicadores. La existencia de memes, como replicadores culturales, es aún hipotética, y parece mejor buscarlos en el cerebro, porque solo pueden ser: neuro-memes. En la literatura hay apenas dos modelos inspirados en la concepción neuro-memética, y como la evolución cultural va de la mano con la genética, se requiere entonces modelar una co-evolución gene-cultura, basada en neuro-memes. Un modelo así, se usaría para ayudar a validar la hipótesis neuro-memética, por un lado, y por el otro, ayudaría a comprender y atender serias problemáticas en las sociedades humanas. Con este proyecto se logró un sistema de co-evolución genética y neuro-memética, que fue usado por una sociedad de robots para sobrevivir, desarrollando un comportamiento cultural.Magíster en Ingeniería de Sistemas y ComputaciónMaestrí