CiNet Monthly Seminar

June 24, 2024
15:00-16:00 (JST)

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or you can come to the conference room on the 1st floor of the CiNet bldg.

Sign up by noon on June 24
When we cannot identify your affiliation etc., we may have to turn down your application.
You will be notified of participation details by e-mail on June 24

“Value, Abstraction and Decision Making”

Benedetto De Martino
Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience
Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
University College London, UK

Host : Masahiko Haruno

Abstract:
In the fields of neuroscience and machine learning, “value” has often been used interchangeably with “reward,” emphasising its hedonic aspect while neglecting its functional, concept-like nature. However, in real life, we rarely receive discrete numerical rewards at the end of our actions and need to build our own values. In this talk, I will present some work from our lab that challenges the canonical view that equates value and reward by showing how the brain is able to construct the value of an option or action on-the-fly by building abstractions that flexibly adapt to changing goals. I will demonstrate how this mechanism can facilitate learning and foster generalisation. Overall, I will discuss how rethinking the true nature of value is both feasible and necessary.