Emergent Mind Architecture (EMA): A Reference Framework for Artificial Cognitive Development and Lifelong Cognitive Growth
Year: 2026
Type: report
Abstract: Emergent Mind Architecture is a cognitive architecture designed to support the gradual development of artificial cognition through continuous interaction, experience accumulation, predictive adaptation, and lifelong learning. Rather than relying on predefined symbolic intelligence or fixed behavioral modules, the architecture emphasizes the progressive emergence of cognitive capabilities from the dynamic organization of knowledge, memory, prediction, self-representation, and goal-directed processes. The framework integrates multiple cognitive functions—including perception, multimodal memory, semantic organization, predictive processing, attention regulation, emotional modulation, executive control, and self-model formation—within a unified developmental architecture. Cognitive abilities are expected to emerge progressively through ongoing interaction with the environment, internal learning dynamics, and accumulated experience rather than through extensive manual programming. The architecture further supports lifelong cognitive growth, adaptive knowledge organization, self-reflective learning, and continuous refinement of internal representations. It is intended as a foundation for research on artificial cognition, emergent intelligence, developmental artificial general intelligence (AGI), and long-term autonomous cognitive systems. This document presents the frozen architectural specification (v1.0) of the Emergent Mind Architecture, establishing the foundational principles of the framework while allowing future constitutional evolution through subsequent versioned releases
Author: jalali, mahdi
Language: English
Subfield: Artificial Intelligence
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7166301101