Natural and Artificial Intelligence: between Skills and Biases

Intelligent systems display a striking combination of competence and limitation, regardless of their biological, artificial, or social origin. These systems can acquire sophisticated skills, coordinate complex actions, and adapt to changing environments; at the same time they suffer systematic biases and pitfalls. Therefore, understanding intelligence today requires accounting not only for what cognitive systems do well, but also for how and why they fail.

The 22nd Conference of the Italian Association of Cognitive Sciences (AISC 2026) focuses on this dichotomy, proposing a reflection on natural and artificial intelligence between skills and biases. From embodied motor abilities and practical know-how to decision-making under uncertainty, from artificial learning systems to collective dynamics in networked environments, the conference aims to bring together perspectives that address both the upper and lower bounds of intelligent behaviour across different systems, methodologies, and levels of analysis. 

Within this broad framework, AISC 2026 welcomes contributions from all areas of cognitive science, including theoretical, experimental, computational, and philosophical approaches to cognition in biological, social, and artificial systems. We particularly encourage work that fosters interdisciplinary dialogue and connects traditionally distinct domains of cognitive science.