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research article

A comparative biology approach to DNN modeling of vision: A focus on differences, not similarities

Lonnqvist, Ben
•
Bornet, Alban  
•
Doerig, Adrien  
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September 1, 2021
Journal Of Vision

Deep neural networks (DNNs) have revolutionized computer science and are now widely used for neuroscientific research. A hot debate has ensued about the usefulness of DNNs as neuroscientific models of the human visual system; the debate centers on to what extent certain shortcomings of DNNs are real failures and to what extent they are redeemable. Here, we argue that the main problem is that we often do not understand which human functions need to be modeled and, thus, what counts as a falsification. Hence, not only is there a problem on the DNN side, but there is also one on the brain side (i.e., with the explanandum-the thing to be explained). For example, should DNNs reproduce illusions? We posit that we can make better use of DNNs by adopting an approach of comparative biology by focusing on the differences, rather than the similarities, between DNNs and humans to improve our understanding of visual information processing in general.

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Type
research article
DOI
10.1167/jov.21.10.17
Web of Science ID

WOS:000708879800009

Author(s)
Lonnqvist, Ben
Bornet, Alban  
Doerig, Adrien  
Herzog, Michael H.  
Date Issued

2021-09-01

Published in
Journal Of Vision
Volume

21

Issue

10

Start page

1

End page

10,17

Subjects

Ophthalmology

•

deep neural networks

•

modeling

•

comparative biology

•

crowding

•

illusions

•

object recognition

•

human brain

•

predict

•

humans

•

unlike

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
LPSY  
Available on Infoscience
November 6, 2021
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/182763
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