Portrait of Petros Gelepithis
Cognitive Scientist · Athens National & Kapodistrian University of Athens · FCybS

Petros A. M. Gelepithis

Grant holder, Director and Chair of the First postgraduate programme in Artificial Intelligence (1987–1991) in the UK at Kingston University London.

"With this website I want to express part of myself and show aspects of my life." — Petros A. M. Gelepithis
1984PhD in Cybernetics · Brunel University London
1987First UK postgraduate programme in AI · Kingston
2024Two-volume monograph · Springer Nature
FCybSFellow & Council Member · The Cybernetics Society
01 Elements of Biography

A life shaped by curiosity

I lived my first ten years in a paraga (a kind of hut) and subsequently in rented houses in the greater Athens area (Hellas). I wish all children on this planet to have had my childhood and adolescent upbringing: simply wonderful.

During my student life I was lucky to find myself in an environment where blossoming were the joy of life, of research, of the resistance to oppression. Understanding and critical thinking became my leading principle.

At some point during the third decade of my life, I managed to start materialising an adolescent dream: to understand the nature and mechanisms of mind. The Research Institute of Cybernetics at Brunel University London offered an unsurpassable intellectual environment for pursuing PhD research.

A naïve want to contribute to the Hellenic University system led me to choose a 5-fold decrease in my income — and an absolute maximization of my free time. I returned to Hellas in 2010. I am currently affiliated with the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens.

In my free time I enjoy travelling the earth and universe, sports, games, reading, music, dancing, and good food and companies. Some of my thoughts and feelings I have expressed in a poetic form.

My two-volume monograph Unification of Artificial Intelligence and Psychology was published by Springer Nature in October 2024. Grants totalling €1.2 million from the British Government, European Commission and the British Council (1986–1991).

Past member: Cognitive Science Society, British Computer Society, American Association for Artificial Intelligence, British Society for the Advancement of Science. Associate, Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

Research results published in: Cybernetica, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Kybernetes, World Futures, the 5-volume Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, the Oxford University Research Archive, Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Consciousness.

02 Précis of Professional Life

Academic career

A career spanning four decades across Europe, Asia, and beyond, dedicated to the study of mind and the advancement of cognitive science.

2022 – 2025
Council Member (second term)
Hellenic Cognitive Science Society
2011 – 2014
Council Member
Hellenic Cognitive Science Society
2008 – present
Elected Adjunct Faculty Member
Graduate Programme in Brain & Mind Sciences · Faculty of Medicine · University of Crete
2003 – present
Independent Expert · Cognitive Systems Area
European Commission
2008 – 2009
Academic Visitor · Senior Common Room Member
Faculty of Philosophy · St. John's College · University of Oxford
2007 – 2008
Visiting Professor
University of Crete
2006
Visiting Associate Professor
Department of Informatics · University of Cyprus
2005 – 2006
Visiting Professor
Department of Philosophy and History of Science · University of Athens
2005
Visiting Professor · Guest
Shizuoka University · Osaka University · Japan
2001 – 2005
Director, Cognitive Science Laboratory
Kingston University
2000 – 2001
British Telecom Research Fellow · Complex Intelligent Systems
Kingston University
1994 – 2005
Member, Research Degrees Committee (MPhil, PhD)
Kingston University London
1992 – present
Fellow, The Cybernetics Society (FCybS) · elected
Council Member since 2002
1990 – 1991
Visiting Scientist
Department of Experimental Psychology · University of Oxford
1989 – 2005
Principal Lecturer (personal Chair) · Artificial Intelligence
School of Computing, Information Systems & Mathematics · Kingston University London
1988
Founding Member
Hellenic Artificial Intelligence Society
1987 – 1991
Grant holder, Director and Chair · MSc in Artificial Intelligence
Kingston University London · first postgraduate AI programme in the UK
1984 – 1988
Lecturer → Assistant Professor (Senior Lecturer)
Kingston University
1984
PhD in Cybernetics
Brunel University London
03 Research

The nature and mechanisms of mind

Communication-Understanding Principle (CUP)

Mind is the constitutive problem of psychology and cognitive science. My research has led to a fundamentally different theory attributing primacy to the notion of species (with regard to animal mind) and to written human language (with regard to Homo sapiens mind in particular). The foundational thesis of this Unified Theory of Mind is the Communication-Understanding Principle (CUP). In the early eighties, I argued that machines cannot, in principle, be built to understand human language (1984), and subsequently showed the impossibility of human-machine communication (1991).

308
Total citations
11
h-index (all)
11
i10-index (all)
58
Citations (2021–)
4
h-index (2021–)
Springer Nature · 2024

Unification of Artificial Intelligence and Psychology

Two-volume monograph — Volume One: Foundations · Volume Two: Consequences

View at Springer →

Selected publications

2025
The scope and limits of AI in relation to Aristotle's work and Earthian evolution
PAM Gelepithis
2024
Unification of Artificial Intelligence and Psychology — Volume One: Foundations
Springer NaturePublisher
2024
Unification of Artificial Intelligence and Psychology — Volume Two: Consequences
Springer Nature, 374 2 citations
2024
Thinking and Meaning: Biological and Artificial
Unification of Artificial Intelligence and Psychology, Volume One
2024
Humanity at the Crossroads
Unification of Artificial Intelligence and Psychology, Volume Two
2024
Biological, Designed, and, Possibly, Own-Robot Emotions
Unification of Artificial Intelligence and Psychology, Volume Two
2024
Biological and, possibly, artificial consciousness
Unification of Artificial Intelligence and Psychology, Volume Two 1 citation
2024
Homo knowledge
Unification of Artificial Intelligence and Psychology, Volume Two
2024
Introduction: The Approach
Unification of Artificial Intelligence and Psychology, Volume One
2024
The Nature of Communication: Understanding and Systems of Primitives
Unification of Artificial Intelligence and Psychology, Volume One
2024
Nature of Noémon Systems: Human and Robot Forms
Unification of Artificial Intelligence and Psychology, Volume One
2023
The intrinsic limits of Artificial Intelligence and the possibility of own-robot consciousness
Künstliche Intelligenz mit Bewusstsein? Statements 2021
2023
Scope of, and criteria for, theories of consciousness
Preprint, Oct. 2023
2020
Panpsychism and Noémon Systems [with DOI]
Research Gate 1 citation
2019
Critique of Turing's reasoning
Research Gate 1 citation
2016
The Nature and Use of AI Knowledge
PAM Gelepithis
2014
A novel theory of consciousness
International Journal of Machine Consciousness, 6 (02), 125–139 13 citations Scholar
2009
Outline of a new approach to the nature of mind
Oxford University Research Archive 4 citations Oxford ORA
2005
The Fuschl Conversation 2004 — Towards Y3K: A Perspective on Hominisation with Emphasis on Educational Systems
Review of Administration and Informatics, 17 (2), 1–17 · G. Dyer, PAM Gelepithis, Y. Horiuchi, Prasad K. PDF
2005
Knowledge, IT, and the Firm
Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, First Edition, 1783–1787 3 citations PDF
2004
Remarks on the foundations of cybernetics and cognitive science
Kybernetes, Vol. 33, No 9/10, pp 1396–1410 · Emerald 12 citations PDF
2003
Criteria and Evaluation of Cognitive Theories
Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Vol. 26, No 5, pp 607–609 6 citations PDF
2003
Knowledge Management: Analysis and Some Consequences
Knowledge and Business Process Management, 68–81 · PAM Gelepithis, N. Parillon 34 citations
2003
AI 2001: Advances in Artificial Intelligence — 14th International Joint Conference [Contribution]
P. Gelepithis, P. Remagnino · with A. Szarowicz, J. Amiguet-Vercher, P. Forte, J. Briggs
2002
Computing, Dynamics, and The Third Way
2nd International Conference on Neural, Parallel & Scientific Computations, Atlanta 3 citations PDF
2002
Selection of Training Parameters for an Enhanced Artificial Neural Network Architecture: A Preliminary Report
Neural, Parallel & Scientific Computations, 10 (1), 1–14 · A. Tassopoulos, PAM Gelepithis
2002
An Axiomatic Approach to the Study of Mind
Res-Systemica, Special Issue: Proceedings of the 5th European Systems Science Congress 2 citations
2001
A Concise Comparison of Selected Studies of Consciousness
Cognitive Systems, Vol. 5, No 4, pp 373–392 6 citations PDF
2001
Some Thoughts on the Relations among Culture, Communication and Complexity Theory
PAM Gelepithis
1999
Embodiments of theories of mind: A review and comparison
Computational Methods and Neural Networks, pp 235–264 · PAM Gelepithis, MP Bekakos, M. Sambandham, DJ Evans 4 citations PDF
1999
AI and Human Society
AI & Society, 13 (3), 312–321 9 citations
1997
A Rudimentary Theory of Information: Consequences for Information Science and Information Systems
World Futures 49, pp 263–274. Reprinted in The Quest for a Unified Theory of Information PDF
1995
Revising Newell's conception of representation
Cognitive Systems, 4, No 2, pp 131–139 (Special issue on Representation) 14 citations PDF
1992a/b
An alternative architecture for intelligent tutoring systems
Interactive Learning International, 8, No 1 & No 3 PDF a PDF b
1992
True invariants: A response to Herbert Simon
Proceedings of the 13th International Congress on Cybernetics, Namur, Belgium PDF
1991
The possibility of Machine Intelligence and the impossibility of Human-Machine Communication
Cybernetica, XXXIV, No 4, pp 255–268 26 citations PDF
1988
Survey of Theories of Meaning
Cognitive Systems, 2 (2), 141–162 21 citations
1986
Conceptions of Human Understanding: A Critical Review
Cognitive Systems, 1 (4), 295–305 13 citations
1984
On the Foundations of Artificial Intelligence and Human Cognition
PhD Thesis · Research Department of Cybernetics · Brunel University 47 citations PDF
No publications match your search.
04 Indicative Lectures

Talks around the world

Invited lectures and presentations at leading universities and research institutions across four continents.

05 Some Poems

Expressions of thought & feeling

Poetry across languages and forms — from fireworks to philosophy, from English and French to Greek.

English

FIREWORKS

Curved lines of bright colourful light
Short, playful sounds
Repeated again and again in different space regions
Remote and close.
Sound and light in regal presence awaking faraway memories and distant desires,
    of her.
He wished they were together
  Sharing the everchanging configurations of slender colours
   The mini novas there and there and there
   The little vanishing comets.
   To the left now, little, bright-white, wiggling stars- flashing momentarily
   with joy.
And the moon, half way to its human perceived fullness,
  Moving inexorably,
  Oblivious to small human events,
  Aloof and alluring simultaneously.
Fireworks: shooting stars made by humans.
  Enjoyed by children of all age.
And they by the bay window watching
  Absorbed by the spectacle, immersed in their love-
  matched bodies and souls in a complex
      dwarfing Roden's kiss.
English

PANTOUM*

What We *want* from Our Life!
In our inner-mosts we must carefully look for.
The Ocean of our imagination
Along with the silvery truths and the coruscant emotions in a real world to
   transform.

In our inner-mosts we must carefully look for.
How shall we the contraries bring together?
Along with the silvery truths and the coruscant emotions in a real world to
   transform
Bridging the yesterday with the tomorrow.

How shall we the contraries bring together?
Sun’s Earth will continue long to rotate and go around, linked to Milky Way’s
   inexorable dance in the Cosmos
Bridging the yesterday with the tomorrow.
What Gaia species will born, disappear, and keep travelling?

Sun’s Earth will continue long to rotate and go around, linked to Milky Way’s
   inexorable dance in the Cosmos
How long Antigone will survive the dance? How long the worldly righteous will?
   And, whose Antigone? Sophocles’s or Euripide’s?
What Gaia species will born, disappear, and keep travelling?
The Simple? The Intelligent? The Homo next? The Ocean future?

How long Antigone will survive the dance? How long the worldly righteous will?
   And, whose Antigone? Sophocles’s or Euripide’s?
The hybrid person; the inseparable ought/is.
The Simple? The Intelligent? The Homo next? The Ocean future?
The one with the revolutionary and soothing substance of Eros and Wisdom; the
   involving Liberators.

The hybrid person; the inseparable ought/is
the conquest of happiness will realise through
the one with the revolutionary and soothing substance of Eros and Wisdom; the
   involving Liberators.
What We *want* from Our Life!

* Pantum is an eastern form of poetry in which the first line of the first verse should be the final line of the final verse, the 2nd and 3rd lines of the first verse should become lines 1st and 4th of the second verse, similarly for 2-3, 3-4, … verses.

English

A SMOKING ADVERT

Two opposing pages of a magazine, any magazine.
The eyes are cought immediately,
  by the huge picture of a barren, ugly, place,
  and the big *red* letters running
  two thirds accross the double page.
They target the instinct,
  every animal's instinct;
    for survival.
They target the fear;
  every animal's fear;
  for the possible, grave dangers
    of the unknown and inhospitable.
And subsequently making you want
  the company of ... ;
  the company of anything really;
  even that of a smoke!
    Which damages one's health,
    and that of those close by.
The barren, the ugly, and the profit; getting the latter by selling the former.
Français

L' AIMANT AIMANT

Tu est l'aimant aimant;
   l'aimant aimant qui aimante mon esprit.
   mon esprit qui eprit de
           tes yeux,
           ta voix,
           … .
Ελληνικά

ΕΥ-ΑΙΣΘΗΣΙΑ

Την τρυφερή σου την καρδιά
που είδε κι' έπαθε πολλά
πως να την πλησιάσω;

Μέσα στην μέρα της γιορτής, πως νά 'ζησες αλήθεια;

Τηλέφωνα
χρόνια πολλά,
ευχές,
και παραμύθια.

Το πρόσωπο σου γελαστό,
μοίραζε γύρω ευχαριστώ.
Μα της καρδιάς τα μύχια,
ήταν θλιμμένα κι' έρημα,
έβλεπαν την συνήθεια.
Ελληνικά

ΕΡΩΤΕΥΣΟΥ, ΑΜΟΙΒΑΙΑ ΕΑΝ ΜΠΟΡΕΙΣ

Ανοίγοντας τα φτερά
   ατενίζεις το άγνωστο με έλπιδα.
Η καρδιά της Ανοιξης
   κάνει το ίδιο.
Όντας ερωτευμένος
   τείνεις να καταλάβεις το Σύμπαν.

Εποικοινώντας αναπλάθεις το είναι σου:
 Οι οικογενειακές σου αρχές·
 Οι συμβάσεις της κοινωνίας που βρέθηκες·
 Οι πολιτισμικές σου καταβολές·
 Οι γονιδιακοί σου περιορισμοί·
   Προσεγγίζουν τα ελάχιστα δυνατά τους όρια,
    μεταλάσσονται,
       γκρεμίζονται, ή
         ισχυροποιούνται.

Που θες να φθάσεις;
        Στο ωραίο;
        Στη γνώση;
        Στο άπειρο;
Ερωτεύσου, αμοιβαία εάν μπορείς, κι᾽ αν η τύχη σε ευνοήσει.
Ελληνικά

ΠΑΝΤΟΥΜ1

Τι θέλουμε από την ζωή μας;
Τα μύχια μας μέσα πρέπει προσεκτικά να ψάξουμε.
Τον ωκεανό της φαντασίας μας
Με την αλήθεια και το σπινθηροβόλο συν-αίσθημα σε κόσμο πραγματικό να
   μετατρέψουμε.

Τα μύχια μας μέσα πρέπει προσεκτικά να ψάξουμε.
Πως τις αντιπαλότητες θα συμφιλιώσουμε;
Με την αλήθεια και το σπινθηροβόλο συν-αίσθημα σε κόσμο πραγματικό να
   μετατρέψουμε.
Γεφυρώνοντας το χθες με το αύριο.

Πως τις αντιπαλότητες θα συμφιλιώσουμε;
Ο πλανήτης Γη θα συνεχίσει να κινείται, περιστρεφόμενος και περιφερόμενος, στην
   τροχιά του Γαλαξία,
Γεφυρώνοντας το χθες με το αύριο.
Ποιός ή τι θα δεί τον Νέο Κόσμο;

Ο πλανήτης Γη θα συνεχίσει να κινείται, περιστρεφόμενος και περιφερόμενος, στην
   τροχιά του Γαλαξία.
Η Αντιγόνη θα επιβιώσει της κίνησης;
Ποιός ή τι θα δεί τον Νέο Κόσμο;
Ο δυνατός; Ο νοήμων; Ο Θέος; Το Γκόλεμ του ανθρώπου; Οι ηθικοί που
   επιβίωσαν;

Η Αντιγόνη θα επιβιώσει της κίνησης;
Οταν ο φόβος νικηθεί από το καλοδεχούμενο άγνωστο.
Ο δυνατός; Ο νοήμων; Ο Θέος; Το Γκόλεμ του ανθρώπου; Οι ηθικοί που
   επιβίωσαν;
Αυτός που κατέχει τη διαχρονική αρματωσιά του Ερωτα, της Γνώσης, και της
   Πράξης.

Οταν ο φόβος νικηθεί από το καλοδεχούμενο άγνωστο,
Η κατάκτηση της ευτυχίας θα πραγματώνεται
Αυτός που κατέχει τη διαχρονική αρματωσιά του Ερωτα, της Γνώσης, και της
   Πράξης.
Τι θέλουμε από τη ζωή μας;

1 Παντούμ. Γιαπωνέζικη μορφή ποίησης. Ο πρώτος και ο τελευταίος στίχος πρέπει να είναι ίδιοι. Επίσης, ο δεύτερος και τέταρτος στίχος μίας στροφής πρέπει να είναι ίδιοι με τον πρώτο και τρίτο της επομένης.

Ελληνικά

ΓΙΑΤΙ ΚΑΘΟΜΑΙ ΚΑΙ ΚΛΑΙΩ;

          Κοίτα λίγο έξω.
Ο ήλιος έχει ανατείλει,
 πριν από λίγο,
και οι σκιές είναι ακόμα μακριές και λιγνάτες.

Ακόμα και οι χοντροί,
 οι χοντρές,
  και τα χοντρά πράγματα
        ρίχνουν μια χαριτωμένη σκιά.

Είναι ο τρόπος της Φύσης να δείξει ότι
       κάθε μέρα είναι μία καινούργια αρχή.

  Πήρε να ψηλώνει.
       Το φως να σκληραίνει.
Πλησιάζει η ώρα μιάς άλλης αλήθειας, απογυμνωμένης από φτιασίδια.
Ελληνικά

ΛΕΦΚΕΣ

Ασύμμετρα πέτρινα πολύγωνα,
Θαλασσί του νερού
Πινελιές από πράσινα χρώματα:
   Ανοικτό, ανοικτότερο, ανοικτότατο.
      Βαθύ πράσινο.
        Σκούρο-πράσινο,
Λίγο γκρί σαν από βράχους,
Λίγο γκρί σαν από ιδέες που αντιστέκονται.

Μπροστά σου κατεβαίνει τρέχοντας η κοιλάδα προς τη θάλασσα
    Στο σκούρο μπλέ της.
Και πέρα,
    Λίγο μακρύτερα, το μώβ των βουνών του άλλου νησιού.
Απλώνεις το χέρι σου,
        και το φτάνεις.
Απλώνεις το χέρι σου και
          απορροφάσαι στη Φύση.
Ελληνικά

ΣΤΟ ΠΑΖΑΡΙ ΤΗΣ ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑΣ

Παραμονή του Αγίου Σωκράτη
   κατέβηκα στο παζάρι της Αλήθειας.

Είδα τον μικρο-επιστήμονα,
   σοβαρό και περισπούδαστο, μέσα στην κατευθυνόμενη έρευνα του,
   να μοσχοπουλάει τα κατασκευασμένα φύκια του.

Αναγνώρισα τη φωνή του πολιτικάντη,
   να πουλάει Ελπίδα χωρίς αντίκρυσμα,
   στους ανάγκες έχοντας.

Συνάντησα τον Ηγούμενο των Ηθικολόγων,
   Ν’ αραδιάζει στους πάγκους του
        παραδείγματα
   κατάλληλης συμπεριφοράς των άλλων!

Κι έφυγα.

Πέρα μακρυά –στο Μεθαύριο- διέκρινα ν’ αχνοφέγγουν
 οι καρποί του ιδρώτα των Ποιητών:

   Αλήθειες χωρίς μεταξωτές κορδέλλες.

   Οράματα που γίνονταν πράξεις.

   Τις Δεύτερες Ευκαιρίες που μας προσφέρουν οι πίνοντες το Κώνειον.
© Petros A. M. Gelepithis
06 Travelling in an Infinitesimal Part of the Cosmos

… mentally, thanks to the positive accomplishments of Homo sapiens

"We are travellers in an infinitesimal fragment of a cosmos whose scale surpasses our imagination — yet we dare to look."

i.

Hubble Ultra Deep Field

An image of ~10,000 galaxies varying in colour, size, shape and age — composited from Hubble's data (24/09/2003–16/01/2004). Time: 13 billion years ago. Coverage: approximately 1/13,000,000 of the total sky area.

ii.

Artistic Images of Cosmic Structures

Structures presented in increasing size/complexity order, and the presently estimated composition of the Cosmos.

Source: Wikipedia · Hubble Ultra Deep Field
iii.

Travel Photos Around Earth

For physical travels across our planet, see the postcards below.

07 Ταξιδεύοντας

… on our planet

Postcards from physical travels across the Earth — the counterpart to the mental journeys through the cosmos.

Interior of an ornate opera house with gilded balconies
i.a night at the opera
A wave breaking on sunlit rocks at sunset
ii.the sea, ablaze
A golden pavilion beside a pond surrounded by trees
iii.the golden pavilion
People diving into the sea from a tall diving platform
iv.brave divers
A large monitor lizard on a sandy path
v.a local resident
A bright red flower with fine filaments
vi.in full bloom
Golden fireworks bursting over water at night
vii.fireworks!
A mother monkey and her baby sitting on a stone ledge
viii.mother & child
A carved statue under a decorated arch against a blue sky
ix.the guardian
People walking among driftwood sculptures on a beach
x.driftwood dancers
A colourful covered fruit and vegetable market
xi.market day

“… στον πλανήτη μας”