ECogS 2026

What does embodied cognitive science have to say about recent developments in AI, and what might these developments reveal about the nature and limits of embodied cognition? Under the theme “From Embodied AI to LLMs and Back,” the event brings together researchers in neuroscience, robotics, philosophy, cognitive science, and computer science to explore how advances in large language models and generative AI challenge, reinforce, or reorient embodied accounts of mind. Building on themes from previous ECogS conferences – agency across scales, interaction as foundational, and the multiscale nature of well-being – this meeting examines how embodiment, coordination, and sense-making play out at the evolving frontier of AI. Key questions include, but are not limited to: Can LLMs be meaningfully described as agents, and if so, on what terms? How can embodied and enactive approaches inform efforts in AI alignment? What does human-AI interaction reveal about cognition as a relational, situated process? How might embodied perspectives guide the development of AI that supports rather than undermines human flourishing?

The program will feature a mix of invited talks, themed discussions, and poster presentations, fostering interdisciplinary exchange and critical reflection on where embodied cognitive science and AI development are right now and where they might go next.

Download the conference poster (PDF, A4) — please feel free to print it out and share it.

Director, Donders Centre for Cognition, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University

Emeritus Professor of Artificial Intelligence Department of Computing Imperial College London

Professor Cognitive Neurorobotics Research Unit Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology