The Theory of Space was proposed by Li Manling and Li Feifei's team in 2026, and the relevant research results were published in a paper. Theory of Space: Can Foundation Models Construct Spatial Beliefs through Active Exploration?It has been accepted by ICLR 2026.

Spatial theory refers to the ability of large models to acquire information through self-driven, proactive exploration within partially observable environments, and to construct, dynamically modify, and utilize their internal spatial beliefs based on continuous, local observations. This research aims to construct complete and accurate spatial beliefs through curiosity-driven exploration. This study also found significant deficiencies in current models regarding exploration efficiency, belief stability, and belief updating (such as belief inertia), and constructed a bimodal evaluation system combining text and vision.