Analyzing artificial neural networks to understand the brain

In the first part of this talk I will present work showing that recurrent neural networks can replicate broad behavioral patterns associated with dynamic visual object recognition in humans. An analysis of these networks shows that different types of recurrence use different strategies to solve the object recognition problem. The similarities between artificial neural networks and the brain presents another opportunity, beyond using them just as models of biological processing. In the second part of this talk, I will discuss—and solicit feedback on—a proposed research plan for testing a wide range of analysis tools frequently applied to neural data on artificial neural networks. I will present the motivation for this approach as well as the form the results could take and how this would benefit neuroscience.