Abstract
The paper examines two contrasting cognitive orientations, broadly associated with human and artificial intelligence. Each displays a coherent internal structure, yet diverges in how it organizes perception, encodes memory, and navigates continuity. One emphasizes repetition, regulation, and structured processing; the other leans toward improvisation, modulation, and contextual sensitivity. For the purposes of this analysis, these dispositions are referred to as the synthetic mind and the anthropomorphic mind. The discussion explores how each orientation interacts with space—through containment, expansion, or adaptive resonance—and how each engages with time, whether as velocity, duration, fragmentation, or lived flow. These dispositions are not simply technical contrasts, but models of how cognition responds to the architectures it inhabits—be they digital, biological, social, or symbolic. As the analysis unfolds, tensions emerge. One pattern accelerates while narrowing its scope; the other slows to accommodate complexity. The paper concludes by reflecting on the latent implications of these opposing tendencies—and what they might signal for the evolving conditions of thought.
Presenters
Constantine AndoniouAssociate Professor, Chair of Education and Social Sciences, Abu Dhabi University, Abū Z̧aby [Abu Dhabi], United Arab Emirates
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Human-Centered AI Transformations
KEYWORDS
Cognition, Artificial Intelligence, Human Thought, Temporality, Spatial Perception
