AI-Driven Models Transforming Perceptual Science: Self-Organizing Intelligence for Sensory Cognition

Participate in this topic

Submit your idea

Select the journal/section where you want your idea to be submitted:

Submit your manuscript summarySubmit your manuscript

About this Research Topic

Submission deadlines

  1. Manuscript Summary Submission Deadline 31 August 2025 | Manuscript Submission Deadline 15 December 2025

  2. This Research Topic is still accepting articles.

    1. Check author guidelines

Background

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming perceptual science by offering novel ways to understand sensory perception and cognition. As computational power increases, so does our ability to model and simulate complex human perception processes. Self-organizing AI systems, particularly those utilizing machine learning algorithms like Self-Organizing Maps, have shown promise in mimicking complex perceptual phenomena. These advancements address fundamental questions about how neural mechanisms underlie sensory experiences and highlight ongoing debates concerning the limitations and capabilities of AI in replicating human-like sensory processing. While significant progress has been made in this field, gaps remain, particularly in integrating AI-driven models with empirical findings from neuroscience and psychology.

Self-organization, a major functional principle in the living brain, may be seen as the mechanistic foundation of all forms of adaptive learning and intelligence, from the single-synapse level to that of integrated neural networks in humans and machines (AI). The neuroscience, psychology and mathematics of self-organization deliver powerful models of knowledge generation across hierarchically organized levels of functional integration in adaptive intelligence, from sensory to cognitive learning and representation. Specificity, modular connectivity, and plasticity of neurons and networks allow function to grow without the necessity for increasing structural system complexity. The self-organization of plastic connectivity in sensory networks helps us understand how blind individuals can build visual representations of the physical world, physically expressed and materialized in the form of drawings, on the basis of self-reinforced activity-dependent learning that achieves stable cross-modal representations. The development of brain self-organization across evolution permits to establish the missing link between mental and physical worlds. The principles of self-organization clarify how physical properties are encoded, acted upon, and transformed by adaptive intelligence in humans and machines (AI). Novel solutions for robotic sensing and robot perception and cognition can arise from principles of self-organization.

This Research Topic aims to explore the potential of models based on the principles of self-organization for advancing our fundamental understanding of sensory cognition. The collection also seeks to answer questions relating to how AI systems can replicate human perceptual processes, or provide predictions and insights into the neural underpinnings of sensory experience. Among the objectives are understanding multisensory integration and the functional re-organization of sensory networks in the brain, and potential applications in sensory substitution and rehabilitation. The ethical and societal implications of using AI to simulate human perception are to be taken into account. The overarching goal here is to expand foundational knowledge in perceptual science, and to inspire innovative model and research methodologies that are likely to promote conceptual breakthroughs in the field.

Articles focusing on, but not limited to, the following themes are welcome:
• Self-organization in human perception and the sensory brain
• Self-organizing AI for modeling sensory integration, predictive coding, and cognitive representation in context
• Applications in sensory substitution and rehabilitation
• Interdisciplinary aspects linking psychology, neuroscience, and AI
• Ethical and societal impacts of simulating perception with AI

Contributions from varied disciplines are welcome, including psychology, computer science, and neuroscience. By encouraging collaborations across fields, this Research Topic is to inspire transformative advancements in perceptual science in alignment with interdisciplinary approaches and scientific innovation.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

  • Brief Research Report
  • Case Report
  • Clinical Trial
  • Community Case Study
  • Conceptual Analysis
  • Data Report
  • Editorial
  • General Commentary
  • Hypothesis and Theory

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

  • Brief Research Report
  • Case Report
  • Clinical Trial
  • Community Case Study
  • Conceptual Analysis
  • Data Report
  • Editorial
  • General Commentary
  • Hypothesis and Theory
  • Methods
  • Mini Review
  • Opinion
  • Original Research
  • Perspective
  • Registered Report
  • Review
  • Systematic Review
  • Technology and Code

Keywords: perception, sensory cognition, AI-driven models, machine learning, perceptual phenomena, self-organizing intelligence

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic editors

Topic coordinators

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

     

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

     

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.

     

Participating Journals

Manuscripts can be submitted to this Research Topic via the main journal or any other participating journal.

Submit your idea

Select the journal/section where you want your idea to be submitted:

Submit your manuscript summarySubmit your manuscript