2025 N3BG Summer School

From neuroscience and neural networks to AI machine consciousness with applications

Wrap-Up
Program & Downloads
Key Information
Organisers

Summer School Wrap-up

The Third N3BG (Neuroinformatics, Neural networks, Neurcomputers) Summer School 2025, held on the 30 April at the TU Sofia, brought experts from academia, industry, embassies, and public institutions to explore the future of AI. The Key topic for 2025 was "From neuroscience and neural networks to AI machine consciousness with applications".

The event welcomed over 150 participants onsite and online from Bulgaria, Europe, UK, USA, and New Zealand.

We were honoured to have the opening talk by Prof. Carlo Morabito (INNS President), followed by 13 lectures and 3 panels addressing machine consciousness, quantum and hybrid computing, explainable neural architectures, cognitive architectures, neurocomputers, and AI applications in health and society. Panel discussions focused on fostering AI start-ups, promoting AI in schools and universities, and ethical technologies for sustainable AI future.​

"Congratulations on the remarkable success of the N3BG 2025 Summer School – truly an outstanding event that has added so much value to the entire scientific community in Bulgaria!"

We would like to acknowledge and thank all presenters for their devoted time and shared expertise. We are making as many as possible of the presentation available for download.

Key Information

Key Topic: From neuroscience and neural networks to AI machine consciousness with applications​

​Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the world, yet it remains limited by the absence of conscious perception and decision making.

AI decision-making is based on static, pre-learned patterns, lacking the ability to adapt, interpret meaning, learn dynamically, become aware of itself and the environment it operates in, manifesting emotional intelligence, as humans do. In contrast, the human brain continuously constructs internal models of reality, updating its understanding through experience and associative learning, building emotional and moral values.  

This is the first summer school that discusses openly the future of AI and machine consciousness that can make the future AI safe and sustainable and to enhance human welfare.​

Date: 30.04.2025, Time: 9:30am- 5:30pm (EEST)

Location: TU-Sofia, Campus Darvenitza, Bloc 7, Auditorium 701 (link opens GoogleMaps)

Cost: Free

Registration: prior-registration required by emailing Iman Abouhassan, iabouhassan@tu-sofia.bg or directly on the day

Attendance Type: hybrid, onsite and online on Zoom (link to be sent to registered participants before the day)

Contact Person (for information and registrations): Iman Abouhassan, iabouhassan@tu-sofia.bg

Program, 30 April 2025

Part I: Methods and systems

Session chair: N. Kasabov (AUT NZ, IICT/BAS, KECL, TUS)

Session chair: I.Abouhassan, Technical University of Sofia

Part II: Applications

Session Chair: R.Trifonov, Technical University of Sofia

Session chair: G.Pavlova, Technical University of Sofia

  • 15:20-16:00 Panel: AI in Health (AI decision support during labour and delivery; AI in mental health; Cognitive functions)

    • AI decision support during labour and delivery (I.Jordanov) (Moderator I. Jordanov, U. Portsmouth, UK.)

    • AI in mental health (E.Kenderov, psychologist, BG);

    • Presentations from the audience "Cognitive Functions Use it or lose it" (Kalin Stoyanov) I. Jordanov Moderator: U. Portsmouth, UK; E. Kenderov; Kalin Stoyanov

  • 16:00-16:30 Panel: How to create successful AI start-ups?
    Moderator: K. Eskenazi
    Panelists: I. Trendafilov, AI/Bio Clusters (BG)

  • 16:30-17:00 Panel: Can AI machines discover misinformation? How to teach ethical AI in schools & universities?

    The session includes introduction and demos on a new smart-phone enhanced board game developed by a team, including Vihar, the founder of Truth Detectives (https://truthdetectiv.es/) and Andrew Howes (https://experts.exeter.ac.uk/41016-andrew-howes).
    Moderator: S. Gyoshev (U. Exeter, UK)
    Panelists: L. Litov, C. Pirinski, C4BG team (USA)

  • 17:00-17:25 Neurocomputers for AI. A. Dimitrov (Washington State University Vancouver, USA)

  • 17:25-17:30 Closing discussion
    Moderators: N. Kasabov, R. Trifonov, G. Pavlova, I. Abouhassan, P. Koprinkova-Hristova, I. Jordanov

Organisers

Organised By

 

Organising Committee: 

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Current Members of the Organising Committee:

All Presentations as downloads