Morphological Computation

as Natural Ecosystem Service

for Intelligent Technology

Gordana Dodig-Crnkovic
Chalmers University of Technology
IS4SI 2021
MORCOM-2021: Morphological Computing of Cognition and Intelligence
16th September, 2021

http://gordana.se/
Morphological Computation as Natural
Ecosystem Service for Intelligent Technology

The basic idea of naturalist info-computational framework for cognition in

living organisms [Dodig-Crnkovic, 2006-2020] is l e a r n i n g f r o m n a t u r e .
Morphological computation in this approach is a p r o c e s s o f c r e a t i o n
o f n e w i n f o r m a t i o n a l s t r u c t u r e s , as it appears in nature.
Relationships defining information and computation are always
r e a l i z e d / e m b o d i e d / e m b e d d e d i n m a t t e r / e n e r g y [Dodig-
Crnkovic, 2012].
Morphological Computation as Natural
Ecosystem Service for Intelligent Technology

Morphological computation is computation understood as morphogenesis (the origin and

development of morphological characteristics, such as shape, form, and material
composition in material bodies) on different levels of organization: physical, chemical,
biological, cognitive, and virtual-machine computation built on top of them.
Natural Computing
- human designed computing, with inspiration from nature:
• neural computation inspired by the f u n c t i o n i n g o f t h e b r a i n ;
• evolutionary computation inspired by e v o l u t i o n o f s p e c i e s ;
• cellular automata inspired by i n t e r c e l l u l a r c o m m u n i c a t i o n ;
• swarm intelligence inspired by the behavior of g r o u p s o f o r g a n i s m s ;
• artificial immune systems inspired by the n a t u r a l i m m u n e s y s t e m ;
• artificial life systems inspired by the p r o p e r t i e s o f n a t u r a l l i f e ;
• membrane computing inspired by the compartmentalized ways in which c e l l s p r o c e s s i n f o r m a t i o n ;
• amorphous computing inspired by m o r p h o g e n e s i s .
- use of natural materials to compute
• the computational nature of s e l f - a s s e m b l y , which lies at the core of nanoscience,
• the computational nature of d e v e l o p m e n t a l p r o c e s s e s , t
• he computational nature of b i o c h e m i c a l r e a c t i o n s ,
• the computational nature of b a c t e r i a l c o m m u n i c a t i o n ,
• the computational nature of b r a i n p r o c e s s e s , and
• the systems biology approach to b i o n e t w o r k s where cellular processes are treated in terms of communication and interaction, and,
hence, in terms of computation.
Natural Ecosystem Services
'Ecosystem services’, are the many and varied benefits to humans provided by the natural
environment from diverse ecosystems: agro-, forest-, grassland- and aquatic ecosystems.
These ecosystems offer e.g. natural pollination, clean air, clean water, extreme weather
mitigation, decomposition of wastes, resilience and productivity of food ecosystems. and
human mental and physical well-being. (Wiki, Ecosystem Services)
In short, humans take advantage of already existing physical and chemical processes in
nature, in order to obtain certain aims such as cleaning the water.

In much the same way, we can say that natural computing/morphological

computing/unconventional computing uses already existing processes in nature to perform
computing in a typically resource-effective and ecologically sustainable way.
Morphological Computation as Natural
Ecosystem Service for Intelligent Technology
Where can we find sources of natural computation to performnatural
computational services?
Cognition in living systems/agents is constituting life-organizing, life-sustaining goal-
directed process, (Maturana and Varela, 1992)
(Stewart, 1996) “Cognition = Life”.
(Levin et al., 2021) argue that each living cell possesses cognition and cognitive processes
are information processes.
I n a r t i f a c t u a l s y s t e m s , c o g n i t i o n i s e n g i n e e r e d based on sensors, actuators
and computing units.
Engineered computational systems are resource-intensive/material & energy consuming.
Morphological Computation as Natural
Ecosystem Service for Intelligent Technology

Unlike self-organized natural cognitive agents, engineered cognitive

computational agents are essentially dependent on human-made
infrastructure for their existence and maintenance.
Engineered cognitive systems can lear n a lot from living
a g e n t s , a b o u t a d a p t a b i l i t y, a d e q u a c y o f r e s p o n s e a n d
resource efficiency - among others.

Using already existing natural processes to compute

Morphological Computation as Natural
Ecosystem Service for Intelligent Technology
Computation is i n f o r m a t i o n p r o c e s s i n g (Burgin, 2005).
Natural/unconventional/morphological c o m p u t a t i o n [Rozenberg, Back, Kok, 2012] [Stepney et
al., 2005, 2006; Stepney, 2008] [MacLennan, 2004] is using material properties of material substrate.
At different levels of organization morphological computation is found in physics, chemistry, biology,
and cognition [Dodig-Crnkovic, 2017a-c] [Burgin and Dodig-Crnkovic, 2015).
Evolutionary process in living organisms, best described as e x t e n d e d e v o l u t i o n a r y
s y n t h e s i s [Jablonka, Lamb, Zeligowski, 2014], [Laland et al. 2015], is unfolding as a result of
interactions of living agents with the environment, including other living agents.
Morphological Computation as Natural
Ecosystem Service for Intelligent Technology

Morphological programs/algorithms accelerate evolution, as not

every change comes at random but activates a sequence of sequences of processes
computations.
Evolution starts with the first simplest pre-biotic structures and leads to more complex
forms such as viruses and bacteria, continuing up in complexity to humans and human
networks [Dennett, 2018] [Dodig-Crnkovic, 2015].
Evolution evolves computationally/morphologically through
morphogenesis and meta-morphogenesis (Sloman 2013).
Morphological Computation as Natural
Ecosystem Service for Intelligent Technology

C o g n i t i o n i s a n o p e n - e n d e d p r o c e s s of s e l f - o r g a n i z a t i o n where
computation for the most part proceeds as signal processing in natural systems, and under
special circumstances it takes form of symbol manipulation and language-based
communication [Ehresmann, 2012].
All living and some engineered info-computational artifacts possess various degrees of
cognitive capacities [Dodig-Crnkovic, 2018; 2017a-c].
Morphological Computation as Natural
Ecosystem Service for Intelligent Technology

Mechanisms of cognition, based on natural computation/morphological computation are

far more sophisticated than the machine-like classical computationalist models based on
abstract symbol manipulation [Kampis, 1991].
They conform to the view expressed by [Witzany, 2000] and [Witzany and Baluska, 2012]
that r u l e - b a s e d m a c h i n e s a r e n o t g o o d e n o u g h m o d e l s o f n a t u r a l
cognition of highly complex living organisms.
Info-computational approach incorporates our current scientific knowledge about the
processes in nature, translating them into language of natural info-computation.
Morphological Computation as Natural
Ecosystem Service for Intelligent Technology

The aim of this approach to cognition is to increase understanding of cognitive processes

in diverse types of agents, biological and synthetic, including their ability of learning, and
learning to learn (meta-learning) [Dodig-Crnkovic, 2020], as well as their communications
and mutual interactions.
The focus is on the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of cognitive processes
based on natural information and morphological computation, which boils down to the
study of the structures and their dynamics at different levels of organization in nature and
their use in engineering/technology.
Morphological Computation as Natural
Ecosystem Service

For the development of increasingly sophisticated intelligent cognitive computational

systems nature provide information processing ecosystem service of morphological
computation.
As the development of increasingly sophisticated intelligent cognitive computational
systems rapidly progresses, a framework that can seamlessly connect the natural with the
artificial is useful for learning in both directions – from the natural system to the model and
back that will increase our possibilities to understand and make use of computational
ecosystem services.
References
• Burgin, M. and Dodig-Crnkovic, G. (2015) A Taxonomy of Computation and Information
Architecture. ECSA 2015 ASDS Workshop. In Proceedings of the 2015 European Conference on
Software Architecture Workshops (ECSAW '15). ACM, New York, NY, USA.
DOI=10.1145/2797433.2797440
• Burgin, M. (2005) Super-Recursive Algorithms, Springer Monographs in Computer Science, ISBN:
0-387-95569-0
• Dennett, Daniel C. (2018) From Bacteria to Bach and Back, W. W. Norton Company
• Dodig-Crnkovic, G. (2020) Natural Morphological Computation as Foundation of Learning to Learn
in Humans, Other Living Organisms, and Intelligent Machines.
Philosophies, 5(3), 17-32. https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies5030017
https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/5/3/17/pdf
• Dodig Crnkovic, G. (2018) Cognition as Embodied Morphological Computation. Philosophy and
Theory of Artificial Intelligence 2017: 19-23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96448-5
References
• Dodig-Crnkovic G. (2017a) Cognition as Embodied Morphological Computation. In
Philosophy and Theory of Artificial Intelligence; PT-AI 2017. Studies in Applied
Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics; Müller, V., Ed.; Springer: Cham,
Switzerland, 2018; Volume 44.
• Dodig-Crnkovic, G. (2017b) Nature as a Network of Morphological Infocomputational
Processes for Cognitive Agents, The European Physical Journal Special Topics, DOI:
10.1140/epjst/e2016-60362-9 Eur. Phys. J., 226, 181–195.
• Dodig-Crnkovic G. and Giovagnoli R. (2017c) Preface. Representation and Reality in
Humans, Other Living Organisms and Intelligent Machines, Springer, Sapere book series
• Dodig-Crnkovic, G. (2016) Information, Computation, Cognition. Agency-Based
Hierarchies of Levels. FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, Mu ller V.
C. (ed.), Synthese Library 377, pp 139-159. Springer International Publishing Switzerland,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-26485-1_10 http://arxiv.org/abs/1311.0413
http://arxiv.org/abs/1311.0413
References
• Dodig-Crnkovic G. (2012) The Info-computational Nature of Morphological Computing, in
Müller V. C. (ed.), Theory and Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence (SAPERE; Berlin: Springer),
(Selected contributions from PT-AI conference @ACT) pp. 59-68
• Dodig-Crnkovic, G. (2015) The Architecture of Mind as a Network of Networks of Natural
Computational Processes. Philosophies, 1(1), 111-125;
https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies1010111
• Dodig-Crnkovic, G. (2014) Modeling Life as Cognitive Info-Computation, In: Computability in
Europe 2014, Arnold Beckmann, Erzsébet Csuhaj-Varjú and Klaus Meer (Eds.) Proceedings of
the 10th Computability in Europe 2014, Language, Life, Limits, Budapest, Hungary, June 23 -
27, 2014, LNCS, Springer
• Dodig Crnkovic, G. (2012) Information and Energy/Matter. Information 3, 751-755.
• Dodig-Crnkovic, G. (2006) Investigations into Information Semantics and Ethics of
Computing; Mälardalen University Press: Västerås, Sweden.
References
• Ehresmann, A.C. (2012) MENS, an Info-Computational Model for (Neuro-)cognitive Systems
Capable of Creativity. Entropy 14, 1703–1716.

• Jablonka, E., Lamb, M.J., Zeligowski A. (2014) Evolution in Four Dimensions: Genetic,
Epigenetic, Behavioral, and Symbolic Variation in the History of Life; ISBN 9780262322676.

• Kampis, G. (1991) Self-modifying systems in biology and cognitive science: a new framework
for dynamics, information, and complexity, Amsterdam: Pergamon Press.

• Laland, K.N., Uller, T., Feldman, M.W., Sterelny, K., Müller, G.B., Moczek, A., Jablonka, E.,
Odling-Smee, J. (2015) The extended evolutionary synthesis: Its structure, assumptions and
predictions. Proc. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci. doi:10.1098/rspb.2015.1019.

• MacLennan, B. J. (2004). Natural computation and non-Turing models of computation.

Theoretical computer science., 317(1). Retrieved from http://www.worldcat.org/title/natural-
computation-and-non-turing-models-of-computation/oclc/97708146&referer=brief_results

• Levin, Michael, Fred Keijzer, Pamela Lyon, and Detlev Arendt. 2021. “Uncovering Cognitive
Similarities and Differences, Conservation and Innovation.” Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 376:
20200458.
References
• Rozenberg, G.; Back, T.; Kok, J. (Eds.) (2012) Handbook of Natural Computing: Springer
Verlag: Berlin, Germany.

• Stepney, S. (2008). The neglected pillar of material computation. Physica D: Nonlinear

Phenomena, 237(9), 1157–1164.

• Stepney, S., Braunstein, S. L., Clark, J. A., Tyrrell, A. M., Adamatzky, A., Smith, R. E., …
Partridge, D. (2005). Journeys in Non-Classical Computation I: A Grand Challenge for
Computing Research. Int. J. Parallel Emerg. Distr. Syst., 20, 5–19.

• Stepney, S., Braunstein, S. L., Clark, J. A., Tyrrell, A. M., Adamatzky, A., Smith, R. E., …
Partridge, D. (2006). Journeys in Non-Classical Computation II: Initial Journeys and
Waypoints. Int. J. Parallel Emerg. Distr. Syst., 21, 97–125.

• Witzany G (2000) Life: the communicative structure. BoD, Norderstedt

• Witzany G, Baluska F (2012) Life’s code script doesn’t code itself. The machine metaphor for
living organisms is outdated. EMBO Rep 13:1054–1056
APPENDIX
BACKGROUND IDEAS
COMPUTING NATURE
“And how about the entire universe, can it be considered to be a computer?
Yes, it certainly can, it is constantly computing its future state from its
current state, it's constantly computing its own time-evolution!
And as I believe Tom Toffoli pointed out, actual computers like your PC just hitch a
ride on this universal computation!” (Chaitin 2006)

* https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.414.4009&rep=rep1&type=pdf What is Computation?

(How) Does Nature Compute? David Deutsch in A Computable Universe by Hector Zenil
*http://www.gordana.se/work/PUBLICATIONS-files/2007-Epistemology%20Naturalized.pdf
BACKGROUND IDEAS
Morphological Computation and Learning to Learn In Humans, Other Living Organisms
and Intelligent Machines, YCCSA Summer Seminar - University of York (Online) 2021 05 13
http://www.gordana.se/work/PRESENTATIONS-files/20210513-
LEARNING%20TO%20LEARN_compressed.pdf
Video recording:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QpIoZNLKzY

ShanghAI Lecture 2014

Information, Computation, Cognition Agency based Hierarchies of Levels - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QSd-e8rrz4
NATIVE COMPUTATION/
NATURAL AFFORDANCES
• QUANTIFYING MORPHOLOGICAL COMPUTING – how much of computing is
done by the body as reservoir of computational behaviors.
• How much is it controlled by the brain and nervous sytem as reservoire of
computing (Ghazi-Zahedi, 2019)*.
• Second-order, abstract or indirect – symbolic computation in the brain, based on
the first order direct natural information processing.
• Similar mechanisms as in bodily cells (Levin) but on the next level of organization
– networks of networks of specialized bodily cells resulting in new computational
level (virtual machine, Sloman)

Keyan Ghazi-Zahedi (2016) Morphological Intelligence. Measuring the Body’s ContribuDon to Intelligence. Springer
FIRST-ORDER COMPUTATIONS – NATURAL
AFFORDANCES-NATIVE COMPUTATION-
NATURAL COMPUTATION
Inspired by Floridi’s notion of “in-betweenness” of technology…
“When technologies are in-between human users and natural affordances (natural objects,
processes, or phenomena), we may qualify them as first-order.” (Floridi)

… we can define in-betweenness (relational character)of computation:

First-order computations are those relating cognitive agents (of any kind, not necessarily
humans) to natural affordances (natural structures or processes, that is natural phenomena)
SECOND-ORDER COMPUTATION-
COMPUTATION USING NATURAL
COMPUTATION
Further:
“Second-order technologies are those relating users no longer to nature but to other
technologies, that is, they are technologies whose affordances are other technologies.”
(Floridi)
… we can define in-betweenness of computation (natural, as well as technological):
Second-order computations are those relating cognitive agents no longer to nature, but to
first order computations, that is, computations whose affordances are other (natural, native)
computations.
THIRD-ORDER COMPUTATION
RELATING COGNITIVE AGENTS TO THEIR
OWN INTRINSIC FIRST-ORDER AND
SECOND-ORDER COMPUTATION
Finally, in case of third-order technologies:
“technologies-as-users to other technologies-as-affordances.” (Floridi)
… we can define in-betweenness of computation (natural, as well as technological):
Third-order computations are those expressing relationship between cognitive agents, first
order computations (nature) and second order computations, that is computations whose
affordances are other (natural, native) computations.
SECOND ORDER MORPHOLOGICAL
COMPUTATION –
INFORMATION PROCESSING IN THE BRAIN
So there is, in the brain, an additional, second-order layer of information
processing based on the first-order processing done in the neuronal cells in
order to keep them alive and well. That second order morphological
computation corresponds to the network of networks of neurons and it
processes information about information in the cells.
History of morphological computing - Pfeiffer, … delegating control to the
body. Discovery: body itself does a lot of work in producing cognitive
(intelligent) behavior (all life-sustaining processes such as metabolism,
growth, replication, evolution -- exploiting mechanisms of physics,
chemistry and biology at different levels of organization.