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Abstract
We propose that the jagged intelligence landscape of modern AI systems arises from a missing training signal that we call “cognitive dark matter” (CDM): brain functions that meaningfully shape behavior yet are hard to infer from behavior alone. We identify key CDM domains—metacognition, cognitive flexibility, episodic memory, lifelong learning, abductive reasoning, social and common-sense reasoning, and emotional intelligence—and present evidence that current AI benchmarks and large-scale neuroscience datasets are both heavily skewed toward already-mastered capabilities, with CDM-loaded functions largely unmeasured. We then outline a research program centered on three complementary data types designed to surface CDM for model training: (i) latent variables from large-scale cognitive models, (ii) process-tracing data such as eye-tracking and think-aloud protocols, and (iii) paired neural–behavioral data. These data will enable AI training on cognitive process rather than behavioral outcome alone, producing models with more general, less jagged intelligence. As a dual benefit, the same data will advance our understanding of human intelligence itself.
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