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Philosophy of Mind:
As a philosopher of mind, my research explores metaphysical theories of physical computation and how they might be used to underpin the computationalism thesis, what functionalism about mental processes commits us to (e.g., strong AI), and how we should approach making sense of the computationalism thesis in general.
Philosophy of Neuroscience & Cognitive Science:
As a philosopher of science, my research explores the relationship between various types of explanation and modeling strategies in the brain sciences, including the model sharing strategy between AI and cognitive computational neuroscience. A recurring theme in my work is thinking about the use of computation to model and understand neural and cognitive processes, what kind of explanation computational models provide, whether they can properly be considered theories, and whether the success of computational models warrants ascribing computational processes to the systems they describe.
Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence:
My work on AI involves thinking about the nature of opacity (transparency) in AI models and how the black box problem affects explanation in (computational) cognitive science. Any problem that arises for a model within the context of AI will also arise when its used within the context of cognitive science, although the consequences may differ. This work aims to clearly articulate the black box problem within the context of cognitive science and define its consequences across different debates in philosophy of science (e.g., realism, explanation).
The History of Cognitive Science & AI
My historical work looks at the connections between cybernetics, cognitive science, AI, and philosophy of mind, focusing on the role that computer technology has played in advancing the way we think about and model the mind and brain. This also involves looking at non-computational theories and the role that they have played in the the development of cognitive science.
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