CONCEPTFORGE: Concept Blending & Analysis in MeTTa

chevron-icon
RFP Proposals
Top
chevron-icon
project-presentation-img
user-profile-img
Anthony Oliko
Project Owner

CONCEPTFORGE: Concept Blending & Analysis in MeTTa

Expert Rating

n/a

Overview

ConceptForge advances the exploration of concept creation methods in the ecosystem by experimenting with novel concept generation methods and implementing them in MeTTa/Hyperon Framework. We combine information-theoretic concept blending with fuzzy and paraconsistent FCA to generate new concepts from existing knowledge, with algorithms optimized for the Hyperon framework. Our system features a dual-evaluation framework—human assessment plus LLM-based validation—to measure both creativity and effectiveness of generated concepts. This implementation will enhance Hyperon's cognitive capabilities while advancing fundamental research in computational creativity and concept formation for AGI.

RFP Guidelines

Experiment with concept blending in MeTTa

Complete & Awarded
  • Type SingularityNET RFP
  • Total RFP Funding $100,000 USD
  • Proposals 11
  • Awarded Projects 1
author-img
SingularityNET
Apr. 14, 2025

This RFP seeks proposals that experiment with concept blending techniques and formal concept analysis (including fuzzy and paraconsistent variations) using the MeTTa programming language within OpenCog Hyperon. The goal is to explore methods for generating new concepts from existing data and concepts, and evaluating these processes for creativity and efficiency. Bids are expected to range from $30,000 - $60,000.

Proposal Description

Project details

Solution description
ConceptForge implements a dual-pathway architecture for concept creation and evaluation within the MeTTa programming language for Hyperon. Our approach addresses both primary goals of the RFP through the following components:

1. Concept Generation Subsystem:
   - Blending Module: Implements information-theoretic concept blending based on OpenCog Classic's approach but enhanced with improved optimization algorithms. The blending process identifies conceptual commonalities between input concepts, creates a generic space of shared features, projects selective structure from inputs to the blend, and completes the blend with emergent structure.

   - Formal Concept Analysis (FCA) Module: Implements both fuzzy FCA and paraconsistent FCA capabilities, allowing for concept formation under uncertainty and inconsistency. The fuzzy implementation handles degrees of truth through fuzzy membership functions, while the paraconsistent component manages contradictory information using a four-valued logic system (true, false, both, neither).

- Conceptual Integration Engine: Coordinates between blending and FCA approaches, selecting the appropriate method based on input characteristics and desired outcome parameters. This component ensures optimal concept generation by dynamically choosing between methodologies.

2. Creativity Evaluation Framework:
   - Human Assessment Interface: Provides tools for human evaluators to rate generated concepts on dimensions of novelty, usefulness, and coherence.

   - LLM-based Evaluation System: Leverages large language models to assess generated concepts by comparing them against existing knowledge bases. This system calculates novelty scores while ensuring logical consistency, implemented as a multi-agent system where different "critic agents" evaluate specific aspects of concept quality.

   - Integrated Scoring System: Combines human and automated evaluations to produce comprehensive creativity metrics for each generated concept.

3. MeTTa Integration Layer:
   - Atomspace Connector: Ensures seamless integration with Hyperon's Distributed Atomspace (DAS), allowing storage and retrieval of both input concepts and generated outputs.

   - MeTTa Pattern Implementation: Expresses both concept blending operations and FCA algorithms using MeTTa's pattern-matching capabilities, optimizing for performance within the Hyperon ecosystem.

   - Event-Driven Architecture: Implements concept generation as reactive processes within Hyperon's event framework, allowing concept creation to be triggered by system needs or user requests.

4. Application Demonstrations:
   - Abstract Concept Formation: Shows how the system can generate new abstract concepts from concrete examples.

   - Creative Problem-Solving: Demonstrates how concept blending can lead to novel solutions for problems presented to the system.

   - Knowledge Integration: Showcases the system's ability to integrate contradictory or partial information into coherent conceptual structures.

Our implementation focuses on modularity and extensibility, allowing future researchers to expand upon our work. We will prioritize computational efficiency through optimized algorithms and parallel processing where applicable. The system includes comprehensive logging and visualization tools to make the concept generation process transparent and understandable. 

Performance metrics

ConceptForge will be evaluated using multiple metrics:

(1) Concept Novelty Index - measuring statistical divergence from training concepts;

(2) Semantic Coherence Score - assessing logical consistency of generated concepts;

(3) Human Evaluation Rating - expert assessment of creativity and usefulness;

(4) Computational Efficiency - measuring processing time and resource utilization for concept generation tasks; and

(5) Integration Compatibility - evaluating seamless operation within Hyperon's ecosystem.

Usefulness

ConceptForge directly addresses a critical component of AGI development: the ability to autonomously generate novel, meaningful concepts. This capability is essential for creative problem-solving, knowledge representation, and adaptive reasoning. Our implementation will provide Hyperon/PRIMUS with enhanced cognitive flexibility, enabling the system to form new abstractions from existing knowledge. ConceptForge's dual approach (blending and FCA) offers distinct conceptual paths that mimic human creativity while maintaining logical coherence.

The ConceptForge architecture supports the cognitive synergy goals of Hyperon by providing a flexible concept creation mechanism that can interact with other cognitive processes like probabilistic reasoning and pattern mining. By implementing both information-theoretic blending and uncertain FCA, we ensure robust concept generation across diverse inputs and contexts.

ConceptForge builds upon established theoretical frameworks while innovating in implementation and integration. Our approach is inspired by Fauconnier and Turner's Conceptual Blending Theory from cognitive linguistics, Ganter and Wille's Formal Concept Analysis, and recent advances in fuzzy and paraconsistent logics.

Technical Implementation Details:

1. Information-Theoretic Concept Blending

Our implementation extends the concept blending work from OpenCog Classic with several key improvements:
- A novel optimization algorithm that identifies optimal mapping between input concepts using entropy minimization
- An adaptive blending process that can adjust the balance between preservation of input structure and emergence of new features
- A computational framework for identifying and resolving conceptual clashes within blends
- Implementation of conceptual compression techniques to ensure generated concepts remain cognitively manageable

The blending algorithm operates in four stages:

(1) identification of input concepts from Atomspace,

(2) computation of generic space through structural alignment,

(3) selective projection of features based on relevance scoring, and

(4) completion of the blend through pattern completion and logical inference.

2. Advanced Formal Concept Analysis

Our FCA implementation provides multiple approaches to concept formation:
   - Classical FCA implementation using formal contexts and concept lattices
   - Fuzzy FCA extension using membership functions to handle degrees of attribute possession
   - Paraconsistent FCA implementation using Belnap's four-valued logic to manage contradictory information
   - Dynamic lattice construction algorithms optimized for the MeTTa environment

The system dynamically selects the appropriate FCA variant based on the characteristics of the input data, particularly with regard to uncertainty and consistency levels.

3. Multi-Agent LLM Evaluation System

Our evaluation framework employs a committee of specialized LLM-based agents:
   - Novelty Agent: Assesses how different a concept is from existing knowledge
   - Coherence Agent: Evaluates logical consistency and conceptual integrity
   - Utility Agent: Estimates the potential usefulness of the concept
   - Insight Agent: Identifies unexpected but meaningful connections

These agents communicate through a structured protocol, debating the merits of generated concepts and producing detailed assessments that guide further refinement.

4. Integration with Hyperon Cognitive Architecture

ConceptForge is designed to interact seamlessly with other Hyperon components:
   - Concept generation can be triggered by PLN reasoning processes when new abstractions are needed
   - Generated concepts become available to working memory and can influence attention allocation
   - Concept quality metrics feed into the system's overall knowledge evaluation mechanisms
   - Blending operations can incorporate procedural knowledge and not just declarative concepts

Research Innovations:

ConceptForge introduces several novel research contributions:
- A unified mathematical framework that encompasses both concept blending and FCA, allowing theoretical comparisons
- New algorithms for paraconsistent reasoning in conceptual spaces that handle contradictions productively
- A formal model of creativity evaluation that balances novelty and coherence
- Implementation patterns for concept operations in MeTTa that optimize for both expressiveness and performance

The system's architecture supports incremental development and evaluation, allowing us to progressively refine algorithms based on performance metrics. Our implementation includes comprehensive documentation and visualization tools to make the concept generation process transparent to researchers.

Our interdisciplinary team brings together experts in symbolic AI, cognitive computing, and formal knowledge representation.

Background & Experience

Our team includes Ibrahim Abdulmalik, a cognitive systems researcher who implemented concept blending algorithms for an MSc Thesis at Henriott-Watt University Edinburgh UK; 

Dr. Lestat Blaq, a mathematical logician specializing in paraconsistent and fuzzy logics with experience building formal concept analysis tools;

A computational linguistics expert who has developed LLM-based evaluation systems for creative AI outputs.

Combined, our previous work includes building concept formation systems for robotics research, implementing FCA tools for bioinformatics applications, and developing creativity measurement frameworks for computational art systems.

Open Source Licensing

Apache License

This project will be released under the Apache License 2.0, a permissive open-source license that allows anyone to use, modify, and distribute the code and data, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original authors.

Links and references

Formal Concept Analysis By Bernhard Ganter, Rudolf Wille . 2024

Fauconnier and Turner's Conceptual Blending Theory from cognitive linguistics

Proposal Video

Not Avaliable Yet

Check back later during the Feedback & Selection period for the RFP that is proposal is applied to.

  • Total Milestones

    3

  • Total Budget

    $45,000 USD

  • Last Updated

    19 May 2025

Milestone 1 - Research Plan & Architecture Design

Description

Detailed research plan outlining our approach to concept blending and FCA implementation in MeTTa. We will define specific algorithms evaluation methodologies and integration strategies with Hyperon. This phase includes literature review technical feasibility assessment and detailed architecture design.

Deliverables

1. Comprehensive technical specification document detailing algorithms for both concept blending and FCA implementations 2. Architecture design diagrams showing system components and their interactions 3. Evaluation framework specification including metrics and methodologies 4. Agile development plan with weekly sprints and task assignments 5. Risk assessment and mitigation strategies 6. Integration plan with Hyperon's Distributed Atomspace

Budget

$9,000 USD

Success Criterion

Approval of research plan and architecture by SingularityNET technical team, confirming alignment with Hyperon roadmap and RFP requirements. The architecture must demonstrate feasibility through theoretical analysis and preliminary prototyping of critical components. Success metrics include clarity of algorithm specifications, completeness of evaluation framework, and detailed integration strategy.

Milestone 2 - Core Implementation & Initial Testing

Description

Implementation of core concept generation algorithms and evaluation framework in MeTTa with preliminary testing on controlled datasets to validate approach and identify optimization opportunities.

Deliverables

1. Functional implementation of information-theoretic concept blending in MeTTa 2. Implementation of fuzzy and paraconsistent FCA algorithms 3. Prototype of LLM-based concept evaluation system 4. Integration with Hyperon's Atomspace for concept storage and retrieval 5. Test suite with sample concepts and expected outcomes 6. Technical documentation of implemented components 7. Initial performance analysis identifying bottlenecks and optimization opportunities

Budget

$18,000 USD

Success Criterion

Successful demonstration of both concept blending and FCA algorithms generating novel concepts from test inputs. The system must achieve minimum performance benchmarks: concept generation latency under 5 seconds for simple inputs, successful Atomspace integration, and evaluation scores showing statistically significant correlation with human judgments of creativity. Initial testing must demonstrate at least three distinct concept generation patterns.

Milestone 3 - Refinement Evaluation & Final Delivery

Description

Complete all implementation components conduct comprehensive evaluation optimize performance and deliver final system with thorough documentation and demonstration materials.

Deliverables

1. Complete optimized implementation of ConceptForge system in MeTTa 2. Comprehensive evaluation results using multiple datasets 3. Performance analysis and benchmarking against baseline methods 4. User documentation and developer guides 5. Integration tests with other Hyperon components 6. Five demonstration applications showcasing concept generation capabilities 7. Video tutorials explaining system operation and theoretical foundations 8. Source code with extensive comments and unit tests 9. Final report documenting research findings and future directions

Budget

$18,000 USD

Success Criterion

Full system functionality meeting all RFP requirements, with performance metrics exceeding baseline methods. The system must successfully generate novel, meaningful concepts as judged by both automated metrics and human evaluation. Documentation must be comprehensive enough for other researchers to understand and extend the system. At least three of the demonstration applications must show practical utility beyond mere concept generation, illustrating how the system enhances Hyperon's cognitive capabilities.

Join the Discussion (0)

Expert Ratings

Reviews & Ratings

    No Reviews Avaliable

    Check back later by refreshing the page.

Welcome to our website!

Nice to meet you! If you have any question about our services, feel free to contact us.