We are pleased to have Steve DiPaola from Simon Fraser University presenting at our SFU VINCI seminar.

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Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Time: 12:30 PM

Location: TASC1 9204, SFU Burnaby

Zoom Link: Join via Zoom

Talk Title: Cognitive AI Systems: Modeling Human Expression, Creativity, and Cognition in Sustainable AI Computing

Abstract:
We will present our work that integrates a cognitive AI approach that attempts to model fundamental aspects of human intelligence, creativity, expression, episodic memory, and animal/human behaviour, while prioritizing open systems and sustainability. Our research spans 3 interconnected domains: computational expression and creativity systems that model human characters and artistic cognition to generate emotionally expressive tools, cognitively-inspired memory architectures that enable narrative-coherent 3D AI agents (and live video) through structured episodic representations, and energy-efficient open AI infrastructure that works toward democratizing access for all. We explore how cognitive modeling, drawn from studies of human creativity, memory systems, and behavior, can produce AI that is more interpretable and sustainable. Applications include training medical professionals with virtual patients, creating emotionally and aesthetics aware (real-time) generative systems, and developing open-source public tools that significantly reduce energy consumption. This work suggests that grounding AI design in cognitive science principles can yield systems that are not only capable but also more accessible and aligned with human needs.

Biography:
Prof. DiPaola is a cognitive science based AI researcher (Dir, iViz Lab at SFU). He develops cognitive AI systems that model human creative / behavioral processes, memory, and emotional expression, with applications spanning new generative visual systems, narrative agents, virtual patients for medical training, and sustainable open-AI tools. DiPaola is also a pioneering code based artist with work at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney and major galleries. Both his science and art explore the evolving relationship between human and machine cognition. A sought-after public speaker, he frequently explains AI concepts at major public events (e.g. invited RSC Massey lecture, the CBC and The New York Times). He has over 200 published papers at AI/CS venues/journals such as NeurIPS, AGI, CVPR and CHI.