AUTHOR=Liang Yao , Wang Yuwei , Fang Hongjian , Zhao Feifei , Zeng Yi 

TITLE=A brain-inspired memory transformation based differentiable neural computer for reasoning-based question answering

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence/articles/10.3389/frai.2025.1635932

DOI=10.3389/frai.2025.1635932

ISSN=2624-8212

ABSTRACT=Reasoning and question answering, as fundamental cognitive functions in humans, remain significant hurdles for artificial intelligence. While large language models (LLMs) have achieved notable success, integrating explicit memory with structured reasoning capabilities remains a persistent difficulty. The Differentiable Neural Computer (DNC) model, despite addressing these issues to some extent, still faces challenges such as algorithmic complexity, slow convergence, and limited robustness. Inspired by the brain's learning and memory mechanisms, this paper proposes a Memory Transformation based Differentiable Neural Computer (MT-DNC) model. The MT-DNC integrates two brain-inspired memory modules—a working memory module inspired by the cognitive system that temporarily holds and processes task-relevant information, and a long-term memory module that stores frequently accessed and enduring information—within the DNC framework, enabling the autonomous transformation of acquired experiences between these memory systems. This facilitates efficient knowledge extraction and enhances reasoning capabilities. Experimental results on the bAbI question answering task demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms existing Deep Neural Network (DNN) and DNC models, achieving faster convergence and superior performance. Ablation studies further confirm that the transformation of memory from working memory to long-term memory is critical for improving the robustness and stability of reasoning. This work offers new insights into incorporating brain-inspired memory mechanisms into dialogue and reasoning systems.