Embodied Intelligence - Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Natural, Artificial, and Hybrid Systems

Aug 7, 2026

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Embodied Intelligence brings together multidisciplinary perspectives on how natural, artificial, and hybrid systems generate cognition, perception, and action. Edited by Sheila L. Macrine and colleagues, the volume frames philosophical and theoretical foundations, then advances embodied artificial intelligence through ecological AI, grounded and situated agents, predictive processing, and applications in robotics and machine learning. It further examines adaptation, morphology, emotion modeling, learning, and unifying principles, integrating contributions across active inference, strong AI debates, and human-computer interaction.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages459

Reading Time19 h 17 min

AccessFree to download

Foreword by Fumiya Iida

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Toward Embodied Intelligence

Part I: Philosophical and Theoretical Foundations

1 Convergences of Human and Artificial Embodied Perspectives

2 Artificial Selves: Robodiment and Narrative Identity in Robots

3 The Thirty Years’ War on Representations and the Active Inference Westphalia

4 Predictive Processing: From Sensorimotor Skills to Higher Cognition

Part II: Embodied Artificial Intelligence

5 Advantages of Ecological AI

6 Grounded, Embodied, and Situated Intelligence in Humans and Artificial Agents

7 Embodied Cognition and Strong AI

8 Embodied AI in Machine Learning: Is It Really Embodied?

9 The Embodied Future of Robotics

Part III: Adaptation, Morphology, and Emergence

10 Morphological Pretraining: Adaptation from the Inside Out

11 Exploring Cognition through a Morphological Info Computational Framework

12 Embodied AI Based on Dynamic Human-Computer Interaction

Part IV: Emotion, Learning, and Embodied Interaction

13 Emotion Modeling and Its Embodiment in Transition

14 Embodying Emotions in Autonomous and Social Robots

15 AI Designer, Know Thyself!: What We Learn about Human Intelligence through Building Artificial Intelligence

Part V: Embodied Intelligence-Unifying Principles

16 Embodied Artificial Intelligence: Enabling the Next Intelligence Revolution

17 Diverse Intelligences—The Space of Possible Minds: Commentary

18 Conclusion

Contributors

Index

Embodied Intelligence Embodied Intelligence Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Natural, Artificial, and Hybrid Systems edited by Sheila L. Macrine, Jennifer M. B. Fugate, Arsen Abdulali, and Josie Hughes The MIT Press Cambridge, Massachusetts London, England The MIT Press Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 [mitpress.mit.edu](mitpress.mit.edu) © 2026 Massachusetts Institute of Technology This work is subject to a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND license. This license applies only to the work in full and not to any components included with permission. Subject to such license, all rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used to train artificial intelligence systems without permission in writing from the MIT Press. The MIT Press would like to thank the anonymous peer reviewers who provided comments on drafts of this book. The generous work of academic experts is essential for establishing the authority and quality of our publications. We acknowledge with gratitude the contributions of these otherwise uncredited readers. This book was set in Stone Serif and Stone Sans by Westchester Publishing Services. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available. ISBN: 978-0-262-05349-5 EU Authorised Representative: Easy Access System Europe, Mustamäe tee 50, 10621 Tallinn, Estonia | Email: [gpsr.requests@easproject.com](gpsr.requests@easproject.com) Collectively, we wish to thank our families, our mentors for their inspiration, and the growing embodied community. Sheila Macrine dedicates this book to her son, Gavin, whose intellectual curiosity keeps her constantly engaged, and to her husband, Nicholas, for his support. Jennifer Fugate would like to dedicate this book to her husband, Matthew, for keeping his humor throughout the process. She also dedicates this book to her son, Connor, whose intelligence has grown tremendously throughout the last year through all forms of interaction with the natural and artificial worlds. Josie Hughes would like to thank her family for their continuous understanding and support and her lab members and colleagues with whom she gets to share the journey of continuing to grow her understanding of Embodied Intelligence. Arsen Abdulali dedicates this book to his parents, Ahmed and Ramilya, for their unwavering support, and to his nephew, Rinal, for reminding him that perspectives may shift in an evolving world, but fundamental questions endure and drive science. Contents Foreword by Fumiya Iida xi Preface xv Acknowledgments xix Introduction: Toward Embodied Intelligence 1 Sheila L. Macrine, Jennifer M. B. Fugate, Arsen Abdulali, and Josie Hughes Part I: Philosophical and Theoretical Foundations 33 1 Convergences of Human and Artificial Embodied Perspectives 39 Sheila L. Macrine and Jennifer M. B. Fugate 2 Artificial Selves: Robodiment and Narrative Identity in Robots 71 Shaun Gallagher 3 The Thirty Years’ War on Representations and the Active Inference Westphalia 87 Axel Constant, Andy Clark, and Karl Friston 4 Predictive Processing: From Sensorimotor Skills to Higher Cognition 111 Giovanni Pezzulo, Thomas Parr, and Karl Friston Part II: Embodied Artificial Intelligence 133 5 Advantages of Ecological AI 139 Alex B. Kiefer, Mahault Albarracin, and Conor Heins viii Contents 6 Grounded, Embodied, and Situated Intelligence in Humans and Artificial Agents 167 Carlotta I. Zona, Martin H. Fischer, and Alex Miklashevsky 7 Embodied Cognition and Strong AI 183 Lawrence Shapiro and Francesco Bianchini 8 Embodied AI in Machine Learning: Is It Really Embodied? 203 Matej Hoffmann and Shubhan Parag Patni 9 The Embodied Future of Robotics 229 David Howard Part III: Adaptation, Morphology, and Emergence 243 10 Morphological Pretraining: Adaptation from the Inside Out 249 Josh Bongard 11 Exploring Cognition through a Morphological Info Computational Fra

FAQs

What topics are covered in Embodied Intelligence?

The book covers philosophical and theoretical foundations, embodied artificial intelligence, adaptation and morphology, emotion and learning, and unifying principles across natural, artificial, and hybrid systems.

How does the volume address embodied intelligence in artificial systems?

It discusses ecological AI, grounded/situated intelligence, embodied cognition and strong AI, and whether machine learning approaches are truly embodied, alongside developments in robotics.

Which themes connect cognition with emotion and interaction?

Later sections focus on emotion modeling and its embodiment, embodying emotions in autonomous and social robots, and what is learned about human intelligence through building artificial intelligence and engaging in human-computer interaction.

Aug 7, 2026

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