The macaque IT cortex but not current artificial vision networks encode object position in perceptually aligned coordinates.

Macaque IT cortex encodes object position in perceptually aligned coordinates, unlike current artificial vision networks, revealing a key difference in spatial processing.

• Why it matters: Understanding how the brain accurately represents object location in perception is crucial for developing better artificial vision systems and unraveling neural mechanisms of spatial awareness.
• What they did: Researchers combined intracortical recordings in macaque IT cortex with human psychophysics, using a motion aftereffect illusion to dissociate perceived from retinal object position, and tested various neural network models.
• The result: Findings show IT encodes object position in perceptually meaningful coordinates, while artificial networks lack this adaptation-driven representational warping, highlighting a missing computational element in artificial vision.