An open-science institute for adaptive systems across minds, machines, and complex systems
Advancing the Free Energy Principle and Active Inference - a mathematically principled framework for understanding adaptive behaviour in natural and artificial systems.
7+
Textbook Cohorts
2,000+
Community Members
700+
Livestreams
501(c)(3)
Nonprofit
Figures as of August 2026
Our Vision
A world where active inference, a framework of adaptive behavior grounded in first principles, is known, taught, and applied across science, engineering, and everyday life.
Our Mission
To translate the science of how natural systems adapt and self-organize, known as active inference, into practical tools, resources, and educational experiences that empower people, communities, and technology to enhance decision making and reduce uncertainty.
All backgrounds, time zones, and levels of familiarity are welcome. We are a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit following open science principles.
What We Do
Act, Serve, Infer
Accessibility
Reducing barriers through standardized educational resources, open-source tools like RxInfer.jl, and the Active Inference Ontology - creating clear pathways from novice to expert.
Rigour
Moving beyond demonstration to falsifiable empirical testing. Benchmarking against alternative frameworks, adversarial collaboration, and honest engagement with the theory's scope and limitations.
Applicability
Bridging simulation to deployment. Grand challenge programs in AI safety, computational psychiatry, and complex ecological systems modeling.
Current
Working Groups and the 6th Symposium
Working Groups
The Institute proposes open, chartered working groups: one Field Working Group for field-level comparison and a shared assessment method, and domain working groups that pair Active Inference experts with domain practitioners. The draft Charter and Operating Procedures are open for public review.
6th Symposium · 12–13 November 2026
The 6th Applied Active Inference Symposium runs online and free on 12–13 November 2026, with the Charter Development Session for the Working Groups. Programme and registration are open to everyone.
Active Inference Journal
The Institute's open-access publishing venue for research, proceedings, and records, including symposium transcripts and the Active Inference Institute and Ecosystem overview.
"The brain is fundamentally an inference machine, trying to predict its sensory inputs."
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Whether you are a neuroscientist, AI researcher, philosopher, engineer, or simply curious - there is a place for you here.
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