Recent interest in human-level intelligence suggests a rethink of the role of machine learning in computational intelligence. We argue that without cognitive learning the goal of achieving human-level synthetic intelligence is far from completion. Here we review the principles underlying human learning and memory, and identify three of them, i.e., continuity, glocality, and compositionality, as the most fundamental to human-level machine learning. We then propose the recently-developed hypernetwork model as a candidate architecture for cognitive learning and memory. Hypernetworks are a random hypergraph structure higher-order probabilistic relations of data by an evolutionary self-organizing process based on molecular selfassembly. The chemically-based massive interaction for information organization and processing in the molecular hypernetworks, referred to as hyperinteractionism, is contrasted with the symbolist, connectionist, and dynamicist approaches to mind and intelligence. We demonstrate the generative learning capability of the hypernetworks to simulate linguistic recall memory, visual imagery, and language-vision crossmodal translation based on a video corpus of movies and dramas in a multimodal memory game environment. We also offer prospects for the hyperinteractionistic molecular mind approach to a unified theory of cognitive learning.

Abstract — Machine learning has made great progress during the last decades and is being deployed in a wide range of applications. However, current machine learning techniques are far from sufficient for achieving human-level intelligence. Here we identify the properties of learners required for human-level intelligence and suggest a new direction of machine learning research, i.e. the cognitive learning approach, that takes into account the recent findings in brain and cognitive sciences. In particular, we suggest two fundamental principles to achieve human-level machine learning: continuity (forming a lifelong memory continuously) and glocality (organizing a plastic structure of localized micromodules connected globally). We then propose a multimodal memory game as a research platform to study cognitive learning architectures and algorithms, where the machine learner and two human players question and answer about the scenes and dialogues after watching the movies. Concrete experimental results are presented to illustrate the usefulness of the game and the cognitive learning framework for studying human-level learning and intelligence. I.