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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.07.02.735826

Curiosity shapes brain-like architectures and functions

Poli, F.·Fakhar, K.·Mousley, A.·Klein, C.·Grosse Wiesmann, C.·Astle, D.
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Abstract

How does complex cognition emerge from simpler underlying processes? We show that two components are sufficient: infant-like curiosity and brain-like biophysical constraints jointly drive the emergence of complex neuronal architectures and cognitive abilities. We first tested curiosity-driven exploration in 275 8-to 15-month-old infants. We then implemented these mechanisms in artificial recurrent neural networks, letting them actively sample 20 cognitive tasks during training, while forcing the networks to operate under brain-like biophysical constraints. These two components were sufficient for a range of biological and cognitive phenomena to emerge: The resulting networks captured human synaptic development, the adult brains architecture, and displayed compositional generalisation, a hallmark of human cognition. Curiosity, long viewed as a downstream consequence of complex brains, is also a driver of their complexity.

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Poli, F., Fakhar, K., Mousley, A., Klein, C., Grosse Wiesmann, C., Astle, D.. 2026-07-03. Curiosity shapes brain-like architectures and functions. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.02.735826

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