Extended active inference: constructing predictive cognition beyond skulls

Cognitive niche construction is construed as a form of instrumental intelligence, whereby organisms create and maintain cause–effect models of their niche as guides for fitness influencing behavior. Extended mind theory claims that cognitive processes extend beyond the brain to include predictable states of the world – that function as cognitive extensions to support the performance of certain cognitive tasks. Predictive processing in cognitive science assumes that organisms (and their brains) embody predictive models of the world that are leveraged to guide adaptive behavior. On that view, standard cognitive functions – such as action, perception and learning – are geared towards the optimization of the organism’s predictive (i.e., generative) models of the world. Recent developments in predictive processing – known as active inference – suggest that niche construction is an emergent strategy for optimizing generative models. In this paper, based on the active inference formulation of niche construction, we first argue that cognitive niche construction can be studied as a cognitive function. Second, we argue that under the lens of active inference, cognitive niche construction can be viewed as a process of constructing, optimizing, and leveraging cognitive extensions; what we call extended active inference.