Abstract
The network functions of the brain and artificial intelligence (AI) are hidden complex systems. Brain networks that underlie spatial memory are foundational to cognition and are critical for generating internal representations of an individual’s physical environment and related abstractions, such as time, social, and virtual spaces. This project leverages a large language model (LLM), a specific AI technology, to reveal hidden cognitive networks from personal narratives that connect internal and external worlds. Centered on local communities along the rivers surrounding Boston, Massachusetts, this transdisciplinary project explores how participants—a diverse group of creatives—navigate natural, social, and virtual ecosystems and their artistic practice. In-depth qualitative interviews are implemented and designed to map cognitive networks, emphasizing contextual and navigational descriptions of behavior across these spaces. The LLM, ChatGPT, was used for thematic, sentiment, and network transcript analyses. Formatted outputs were used for network visualizations, including explicit and implicit connections that link personal relationships, organizations, concepts, processes, and values. Networks are presented alongside hybrid digital and film-based photographic portraits, interview audio excerpts, and images of physical landscapes, contextualizing participants’ mental maps. Thematic and sentiment findings identified interconnected themes of resilience, community engagement, and environmental awareness. Network analysis highlighted key nodes linking environmental advocacy, digital interactions, and artistic collaborations. This transdisciplinary project demonstrates how neuroscience, AI, and art can reveal hidden cognitive networks, and infer the network properties of the brain. Furthermore, these research methods provide an integrated approach to show the interconnectedness of individuals and collective identities reflected in the environment.
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life
KEYWORDS
NEUROSCIENCE, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS, IDENTITY, SCIENCE AND ART, RESILIENCE
