Taiwan hosts NeuroAI symposium to explore brain-AI integration

National Science and Technology Council hosted an international symposium on the 8th of Apri aimed at advancing research at the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence, as part of its ongoing push into brain technology development.

The event, titled “Rethinking Intelligence: A NeuroAI Symposium (RIANS),” brought together domestic and international scholars to discuss strategies for integrating brain science with AI. The symposium was chaired by Dr. Yijuang Chern of Academia Sinica, with Deputy Minister Bing-Yu Chen representing the council.

At RIANS international symposium, Distinguished Research Fellow  Yijuang Chern of Academia Sinica (left) presided over the event, while Deputy Minister Bing-Yu Chen (sixth from left) attended on behalf of the National Science and Technology Council. The symposium brought together domestic and international scholars to exchange views on development strategies for integrating brain science and artificial intelligence.

Taiwan has been promoting interdisciplinary brain science research, combining its strengths in information and communication technology and clinical medicine. Officials say research teams have produced innovations that are being applied in both healthcare and industry, while collaborations with international institutions have helped link Taiwan’s work to global networks.

In artificial intelligence, researchers highlighted advances in brain-inspired computing. A team led by Professor Chung-Chuan Lo at National Tsing Hua University has developed an Echo State Network model for autonomous systems that reduces training parameters and computational costs. Meanwhile, Associate Professor Li-An Chu at National Taiwan University is leading a “Green AI” project focused on energy-efficient computing, with applications in microscopic image analysis.

The symposium featured speakers including Blake Richards, Kenji Doya and Choong-Wan Woo, who discussed topics such as reinforcement learning, brain-based models of emotion and collaboration between neuroscience and AI communities.

Younger Taiwanese researchers also took part, highlighting the island’s emerging talent in the field.

Deputy Minister Bing-Yu Chen of the National Science and Technology Council (left) presented poster awards to outstanding students, recognizing the research achievements of young scholars.

Organizers said the event aimed to strengthen international collaboration and position Taiwan within the global NeuroAI research landscape, while supporting the development of next-generation intelligent technologies.

For more info: Rethinking Intelligence: A NeuroAI Symposium (RIANS)