Séminaire ayant lieu dans le cadre du Doctorat en informatique cognitive, en collaboration avec le centre de recherche CRIA         

TITRE : Global Workspace Theory Meets Deep Learning: Consciousness as Computational Architecture or Biological Phenomenon?

Rufin VANRULLEN

Jeudi le 13 novembre 2025 à 10h30

Local PK-5115 (Il est possible d'y assister en virtuel en vous inscrivant ici)         

RÉSUMÉ

This talk examines the convergence of Global Workspace Theory and deep learning architectures in the quest to understand and potentially implement consciousness in artificial systems. I will present our recent work on Global Latent Workspace (GLW) models that bridge computational implementations of consciousness theories with state-of-the-art machine learning. The discussion will explore how these architectures integrate multimodal information processing through a central latent hub, enabling cross-modal translation and globally accessible representations. I will address the fundamental question of whether consciousness emerges from specific computational architectures or requires biological substrates, drawing on evidence from our implementations that combine global workspace dynamics with sensorimotor contingency theory. The talk will also examine the implications for AI consciousness assessment, discussing indicator properties derived from neuroscientific theories and their application to current AI systems. Finally, I will consider the ethical dimensions of potentially conscious AI and the importance of rigorous empirical approaches to machine consciousness research.

BIOGRAPHIE

Rufin ANRULLEN is CNRS Research Director in neuroscience and artificial intelligence at the Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CerCo) and holds a research chair at the Artificial and Natural Intelligence Toulouse Institute (ANITI). His research focuses on brain-inspired AI architectures, visual perception, attention, and consciousness. Following mathematics and computer science studies, he completed his PhD in cognitive science with Simon Thorpe, then conducted postdoctoral research at Caltech with Christof Koch on visual attention mechanisms. He received the CNRS Bronze Medal in 2007 and was awarded a 2022 ERC Advanced Grant for his project “GLoW – The Global Latent Workspace.” VanRullen has authored over 200 scientific papers and is a leading researcher in computational approaches to consciousness and neural oscillations in perception.

RÉFÉRENCES

Kuske, N., & VanRullen, R. (2024). Consciousness in Artificial Systems: Bridging Global Workspace and Sensorimotor Theory in In-Silico Models. arXiv preprint.

Devillers, B., Maytié, L., & VanRullen, R. (2024). Semi-Supervised Multimodal Representation Learning Through a Global Workspace. IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems.

Butlin, P., Long, R., Elmoznino, E., et al. [including VanRullen, R.] (2023). Consciousness in Artificial Intelligence: Insights from the Science of Consciousness. arXiv preprint.

VanRullen, R., & Kanai, R. (2021). Deep learning and the global workspace theory. Trends in Neurosciences, 44(9), 692-704.