We are pleased to announce that Michael N. Shadlen, Professor of Neuroscience at Columbia University and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator, has been elected an Academician of the World Academy for Artificial Consciousness (WAAC) in recognition of his sustained contributions to the neural mechanisms of perceptual decision-making and to evidence-accumulation processes related to conscious accessibility.
Over many years, Professor Shadlen has used random-dot motion (RDM) paradigms and single-neuron recordings to demonstrate that neurons in the lateral intraparietal area (LIP) represent evidence accumulation and threshold (bound) crossing in decision-making (Journal of Neurophysiology, 2001). Together with Joshua I. Gold, he articulated a comprehensive neural framework “from evidence integration to commitment” in Annual Review of Neuroscience (2007). His team has also reported, in human studies, the critical process by which an “aha” moment enters awareness (Current Biology, 2017; accompanied by a Columbia University news release), and showed in Neuron (2022) that parietal decision representations can generalize across fixed reference frames. Collectively, these studies link decision formation to conscious accessibility from single units to systems, providing key evidence for how the brain transforms unconscious processing into reportable conscious contents.
- Global Collaboration and Academic Ecosystem
Academicians of the World Academy for Artificial Consciousness hail from institutions such as Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Cambridge, the University of California, the French Academy of Sciences, the University of Padua, the University of Queensland, Columbia University, and the University of Exeter. Honorary Academicians come from a wide range of countries and regions, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Canada, Australia, Spain, and China. In addition, leading scientists from prominent research institutes and technology companies—such as Google, the Allen Institute for Brain Science, and ZEEKR—also participate.
- About WAAC
The World Academy for Artificial Consciousness (https://www.waac.ac/) is a global academic institution established in Paris in 2025. Its mission is to advance frontier research and international collaboration in artificial consciousness through the integration of science, technology, and philosophy. The Academy publishes open research, policy recommendations, evaluation standards, and more. The current President is Academician Yucong Duan, and the Secretary-General is Dr. Yingbo Li. The Honorary Academician List: On May 3, 2025, WAAC released its first batch of Top 100 Honorary Academicians, recognizing scholars who have made foundational or leading contributions to the theory of artificial consciousness.