Biological and Artificial Visual Systems: How Humans and Machines Represent the Visual World
PSY 1406
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
Someday, perhaps very soon, artificial intelligence will enable machines to perceive the world around us better than humans do. Whether AI systems will do so by emulating human perception, or by becoming supra-human and circumventing biological constraints entirely, is yet unknown. In this course, we will survey research on human and machine perception, with an emphasis on vision: How do humans and machines represent the visual world? What does human vision do that artificial neural networks don’t (yet)? How can we understand human perception better by focusing on artificial neural networks, and vice versa? By focusing on this intersection between biological and artificial visual systems, we will learn what makes humans fundamentally unique and special, while simultaneously learning about cutting edge discoveries in both fields.
Recommended Prep
The Psychology Department requires completion of Science of Living Systems 20 or Psychology 1 or the equivalent of introductory psychology (e.g. Psych AP=5 or IB =7 or Psyc S-1) and at least one foundational course from MCB/NEURO 80, PSY 11, PSY 14, PSY 15, PSY 16, or PSY 18 before enrolling in this course; or permission of instructor.
Available for Harvard Cross Registration
NOTE: This course requires additional sections; you will be prompted to choose secondary components during the Add to Cart process
