A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence

by Jeff Hawkins

For decades, most neuroscientists have adhered to the hierarchy of features theory, and for good reasons. This theory, even though it has many problems, fits a lot of data. Our theory suggests a different way of thinking about the neocortex. The Thousand Brains Theory says that a hierarchy of neocortical regions is not strictly necessary. Even a single cortical region can recognize objects, as evidenced by the mouse’s visual system. So, which is it? Is the neocortex organized as a hierarchy or as thousands of models voting to reach a consensus? The anatomy of the neocortex suggests that both types of connections exist. How can we make sense of this? Our theory suggests a different way of thinking about the connections that is compatible with both hierarchical and single-column models. We have proposed that complete objects, not features, are passed between hierarchical levels. Instead of the neocortex using hierarchy to assemble features into a recognized object, the neocortex uses hierarchy to assemble objects into more complex objects.