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arXiv · 2608.02553

A Taxonomy of Cognitive Capability Gaps in Generative and Agentic AI

Taye Akinrele·Sindhuja Penchala·Noorbakhsh Amiri Golilarz·Sudip Mittal·Shahram Rahimi
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Abstract

Cognitive AI seeks to move beyond language generation and autonomous task execution toward systems capable of sustained reasoning, adaptive behavior, persistent memory, and self-regulation. While generative and agentic AI have demonstrated impressive capabilities across a wide range of tasks, many fundamental cognitive functions remain fragmented or weakly developed, limiting reliable operation over extended time horizons. This paper presents a taxonomy-driven survey of the major cognitive capability gaps that continue to constrain the development of Cognitive AI. The literature is organized around five dimensions: persistent state modeling, goal-directed autonomy, self-monitoring and control, environment interaction, and learning and adaptation. For each dimension, we review recent advances, identify recurring limitations, and discuss open research challenges. Building on these insights, we outline a conceptual Adaptive Cognitive Intelligence Architecture (ACIA) and examine emerging directions in cognition-centric evaluation. The proposed taxonomy provides a unified framework for organizing existing research, identifying unresolved challenges, and guiding the design of future cognitively capable systems. Together, the taxonomy, architectural perspective, and evaluation framework offer a roadmap for advancing AI systems that exhibit more reliable long-term reasoning, adaptive decision-making, and continual learning. The survey highlights key research opportunities toward more adaptive, reliable, and cognitively capable AI systems, providing a foundation for future progress toward Cognitive AI and, ultimately, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).

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Taye Akinrele, Sindhuja Penchala, Noorbakhsh Amiri Golilarz, Sudip Mittal, Shahram Rahimi. 2026-08-03. A Taxonomy of Cognitive Capability Gaps in Generative and Agentic AI. https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.02553

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