We are pleased to announce that Professor Rubén Moreno-Bote, Serra Húnter Professor at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Spain, scholar at the Center for Brain and Cognition and the Department of Information and Communication Technologies, and head of the Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience Group, has been elected as an Academician of the World Academy of Artificial Consciousness (WAAC) in recognition of his important contributions to computational neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, neural population coding, decision-making mechanisms, and interdisciplinary research connecting natural intelligence and artificial intelligence.
Professor Rubén Moreno-Bote is a highly influential scholar in contemporary computational neuroscience and cognitive neuroscience. His long-standing research integrates computational modeling, neural mechanism analysis, psychophysical experiments, machine learning, and cognitive theory to investigate how the brain realizes perception, decision-making, learning, confidence judgment, intrinsic motivation, and complex cognitive functions. His work systematically explores how neural population activity carries information, how cognitive processes form judgments under uncertainty, how natural intelligence achieves flexible adaptation through brain-based computational mechanisms, and how artificial intelligence models can draw theoretical inspiration from neuroscience and cognitive science.
WAAC believes that research on artificial consciousness requires not only advances in artificial intelligence algorithms, brain science experiments, and engineering systems, but also foundational explanations of natural intelligence, cognitive mechanisms, neural representations, decision-making processes, intrinsic motivation, and the generation of agentive behavior. Professor Moreno-Bote’s work provides important theoretical resources for key issues in artificial consciousness, including brain-inspired intelligence, cognitive computation, autonomous decision-making, perception-action loops, intrinsic drives, self-regulation, and the possibility of machine cognition.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to computational neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, neural population coding, decision-making mechanisms, and interdisciplinary research connecting natural intelligence and artificial intelligence, the World Academy of Artificial Consciousness has decided to confer upon Professor Rubén Moreno-Bote the title of WAAC Academician.
- 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 Oxford, 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.