Event Details:
Continue the conversation: Join the speaker for a complimentary dinner in the Theory Center (second floor of the neurosciences building) after the seminar
Neural algorithms of human language
Abstract
For the first time in history, there exist systems other than the human brain that can process speech and language, extract meaningful symbolic structure, and produce complex and appropriate responses. I will present studies from my lab that use these large speech and language models to generate algorithmic hypotheses of the biological implementation of language understanding. The work uses neural timeseries data across different spatial scales: From population ensembles using MEG and intracranial EEG, to the encoding of speech properties in individual neurons across the cortical depth using Neuropixels probes in humans. The results provide insight into what representations and operations serve to bridge between sound and meaning in biological and artificial systems, including how information at different timescales is nested, in time and in space, to allow information exchange across hierarchical structures. Together, the findings represent a new era of scientific inquiry to understand system-level implementations of human language.
Laura Gwilliams
Stanford University
Laura Gwilliams is jointly appointed between Stanford Psychology, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Stanford Data Science. Her work is focused on understanding the neural representations and operations that give rise to speech comprehension in the human brain. To do so, she brings together insight from neuroscience, linguistics and machine learning, and takes advantage of recording techniques that operate at distinct spatial scales (MEG, ECoG and Neuropixels).
Hosted by Sabrina Jones (see profile below)
About the Mind, Brain, Computation, and Technology (MBCT) Seminar Series
The Stanford Center for Mind, Brain, Computation and Technology (MBCT) Seminars explore ways in which computational and technical approaches are being used to advance the frontiers of neuroscience.
The series features speakers from other institutions, Stanford faculty, and senior training program trainees. Seminars occur about every other week, and are held at 4:00 pm on Mondays at the Cynthia Fry Gunn Rotunda - Stanford Neurosciences E-241.
Questions? Contact neuroscience@stanford.edu
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