SC Connecticut News

When Tyler Brooke-Wilson joined Yale University, he quickly adapted to his new environment, having moved into his apartment just a week before the fall semester began. Despite the limited time to explore New Haven, he expressed enthusiasm about meeting new people. "I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the handful of people that I’ve met so far," he said. "People here have just been extremely warm."

Brooke-Wilson serves as an assistant professor of philosophy within Yale's Faculty of Arts and Sciences and is based at the Wu Tsai Institute. He also holds the position of director of undergraduate studies for cognitive science programs. He encourages students interested in artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential to reveal insights into human cognition to reach out.

In a recent Q&A session for Office Hours, a series aimed at introducing new faculty members to the Yale community, Brooke-Wilson discussed his research on brain-like AI systems and praised Wu Tsai’s collaborative environment.

Brooke-Wilson's research focuses on computational cognitive science. He explained: "We use AI tools to help us understand how people are thinking." By creating AI systems capable of solving tasks similar to those humans can solve, researchers can hypothesize about how the brain might approach these tasks. This involves studying computational complexity and data complexity, with a goal of understanding different systems' scaling properties.

The primary aim of Brooke-Wilson's work is to gain insights into human cognition rather than advancing AI alone. However, he noted that understanding the brain better could lead to improved AI systems capable of performing tasks currently beyond their reach.

Addressing ethical concerns related to making AI more human-like, Brooke-Wilson acknowledged potential economic impacts from automating jobs traditionally done by humans. He emphasized the need for policies addressing such changes while recognizing moral considerations surrounding advanced AI systems: "If you could build an AI system that worked just like the human mind, then it would stand to reason that it would also deserve that respect."

Yale’s Wu Tsai Institute provides an interdisciplinary setting conducive to this type of research, combining fields such as psychology, neuroscience, AI, and philosophy. Brooke-Wilson highlighted this integrated community as a key factor in his decision to join Yale.

Outside work commitments have been demanding for Brooke-Wilson lately; however, he enjoys backpacking when possible. Reflecting on a past trip with family along Colorado’s Continental Divide Trail last year brought him joy: "It’s one of few things allowing me escape into nature leaving work behind."