Joscha Bach
2025-11-28 Update: Joscha Bach has published a statement on his Substack addressing recent revelations stemming from the release of emails exchanged with Jeffrey Epstein in 2016. In the post, Bach acknowledges that his correspondence included controversial remarks on race, gender, intelligence, and population dynamics; he expresses regret that those private communications came to public attention and states his commitment to reflecting critically on past ideas. The statement also notes the professional consequences he has faced, including cancelled engagements and severed advisory relationships, while reiterating that his research on cognitive architectures and artificial consciousness remains ongoing.
2025-11-26 Update: Joscha Bach has recently faced backlash following the November 12, 2025, release by the US House Oversight Committee of documents from Jeffrey Epstein's estate, including private emails from 2016 that revealed Bach's controversial statements on race, gender, and politics. In these communications, Bach claimed that Black children exhibit slower cognitive development than white children due to biological factors, suggested women are less interested in abstract systems, leading to underrepresentation in science, and expressed admiration for fascism's efficiency while praising Epstein's political incorrectness. The revelations have reignited scrutiny over Bach's earlier ties to Epstein, who funded his position at MIT's Media Lab with $300,000 in donations between 2013 and 2014, despite Epstein's 2008 conviction for sex crimes. As a result, Liquid AI ended its advisory relationship with Bach, stating that his views do not align with the company's values, while institutions such as MIT and Harvard are reviewing their past connections to Epstein amid ongoing public outcry.
Joscha Bach's involvement with Liquid AI began in September 2023 as an AI strategist and advisor, focusing on guiding the development of advanced, energy-efficient neural network architectures for the startup.
TL;DR Joscha Bach is a cognitive scientist, AI researcher, and philosopher known for his deep exploration of artificial consciousness, cognitive architectures, and the philosophical foundations of mind and intelligence.
Sorry for NotebookLM’s pronunciation of Joscha’s name, we will fix that with a future, better model, when available.
Joscha Bach by Sora
Joscha Bach is a German cognitive scientist and artificial intelligence researcher recognized for his pioneering work on understanding the human mind through computational models. His research sits at the intersection of AI, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy, with the goal of building machines that not only think but also understand and experience.
Bach’s approach to AI is grounded in the idea that intelligence arises from structured representations of the world, rather than mere data pattern recognition. He has spent decades developing cognitive architectures, systems that simulate aspects of human thought, motivation, and emotion, to uncover how consciousness might emerge from computation.
He is also known for his philosophical clarity and eloquent communication, often speaking about the relationship between intelligence, ethics, and meaning in an age increasingly shaped by technology. Bach’s perspective bridges science and philosophy, advocating a future in which artificial minds are built with both technical precision and moral insight.
Through his lectures, research, and public commentary, Joscha Bach continues to influence global AI discourse, inviting both scientists and the public to think more deeply about what it means to be intelligent and to be human.
Expert in cognitive architectures, developing models that simulate human-like reasoning and awareness.
Conducted groundbreaking research on artificial consciousness and the computational foundations of mind.
Served as a principal AI researcher and executive at leading technology organizations.
Author and public intellectual, known for bridging complex scientific concepts with accessible philosophical discussion.
Advocate for ethical and transparent AI, emphasizing the moral responsibility of building intelligent systems.
Recognized globally as a thought leader in cognitive science, philosophy of mind, and artificial general intelligence (AGI).
