Machine psychology – a bridge to general AI

Artificial intelligence that is as intelligent as humans may become possible thanks to psychological learning models, combined with certain types of AI. This is the conclusion of Robert Johansson, who in his dissertation from Linköping University has developed the concept of Machine Psychology and how it can contribute to AI development.

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) has been the holy grail of AI research since the 1950s. So far, humanity has not managed to create an artificial intelligence that can solve intellectual tasks in the same way as humans. But some scientists believe that this may happen as soon as within the next five years. 

One of them is Robert Johansson, who recently defended his PhD dissertation in computer science at Linköping University. But unlike the gloomy scenarios of the future that are often conjured up about AGI in popular culture, he believes that it can be of benefit to humanity.

“Yes, I’m sure of that! It changes everything we do and isn’t just a continuation of ordinary AI – it’s something completely different. I think AGI will have a broad impact in society in a completely different way than today’s AI. You can create a new type of agent, such as virtual researchers or psychologists – but also a lot more,” says Robert Johansson.

At the same time, he sees challenges with technology developments in a troubled world. AGI could be used for various purposes, for example, to create division in society.

“It’s a technology we really have to handle with care. On the other hand, I also think that artificial general intelligence can help counter several destructive developments in society. It might help us human beings to emerge as more loving. I’m open to AGI being able to help us develop in that way as well,” says Robert Johansson.

But developing an artificial intelligence at the same level as a human being is a monumental challenge. Different researchers try to approach the problem in different ways. Some believe that large-scale language models like ChatGPT are the way to go, while others suggest simulating the brain. The path that Robert Johansson has chosen to follow can be called principle-based. This means that he has tried to identify important psychological learning principles that could explain intelligence and then implement them in a computer.

In parallel with his doctoral studies at LiU, he works as a teacher and researcher in clinical psychology at Stockholm University, where he is also an associate professor, a background that he used in his thesis Empirical Studies in Machine Psychology. 

“I’ve used the principles of modern learning psychology to approach the issue of learning, thinking and intelligence. Then I used a specific form of adaptive artificial intelligence which is a logic system where I try to implement learning psychology,” says Robert Johansson, who is now getting his second PhD. 

The logic system is called the Non-Axiomatic Reasoning System, NARS, and is designed to operate without complete data, with limited computational power and in real time. It provides a flexibility that is important for dealing with problems that may arise in the real world.

The combination of NARS and learning psychology principles constitutes an interdisciplinary approach that Robert Johansson calls Machine Psychology, a concept he was the first to coin but more actors have now started to use, including Google DeepMind.

The idea is that artificial intelligence should learn from different experiences during its lifetime and then apply what it has learned to many different situations, just as humans begin to do as early as the age of 18 months – something no other animal can do.

“If you manage to implement this in a computer, then you’ve really cracked the riddle of artificial intelligence on a human level. And I think psychology will be a potentially crucial science for AGI,” says Robert Johansson.

Whether humanity will succeed in creating its intellectual equal within five years remains to be seen. But then there are a lot of other aspects that need to be taken into account beforehand, according to Robert Johansson. 

“We live in a society with laws and rules and moral premises. It’s necessary to take a stance on how to view the rights and obligations of such agents. Maybe AGI will just be a program you run in your browser, but I think that if it has a consciousness it’s still some kind of life.”