Watson Lecture on January 13: Yisong Yue Explores "Artificial Intelligence: How it Works and What it Means for the Future"

On Wednesday, January 13, at 5 p.m. Pacific Time, Yisong Yue, professor of computing and mathematical sciences in the Division of Engineering and Applied Science at Caltech, continues the 2020–2021 Watson Lecture season by exploring "Artificial Intelligence: How it Works and What it Means for the Future."

Over the past decade, artificial intelligence (AI) and the massive amounts of data powering such systems have dramatically changed our world. And as both the technology and the way in which scientists and engineers handle it becomes more refined, the impact of AI in society will become more profound. In this lecture, Yue will explore the key principles powering the current revolution in AI, consider how cutting-edge AI techniques are transforming how research is done across science and engineering at Caltech, and examine what all of this means for the future of material design, robotics, and big data seismology, among other areas of investigation.

Yue will show how, where human intuition breaks down, AI can guide scientists in finding data-driven solutions to complex problems.

Yue, who joined the Caltech faculty as an assistant professor in 2014 and became a full professor in 2020, was previously a research scientist at Disney Research. Before that, he was a postdoctoral researcher in the machine learning department and the iLab at Carnegie Mellon University. He received his PhD from Cornell University and his BS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Yue's research interests lie primarily in the theory and application of statistical machine learning. He is interested in developing novel methods for both interactive and structured machine learning. In the past, his research has been applied to information retrieval, analyzing implicit human feedback, clinical therapy, data-driven animation, behavior analysis, sports analytics, experiment design for science, and policy learning in robotics, among other areas of inquiry.

This event is free and open to the public. Advance registration is required. The lecture will begin at 5 p.m. and run approximately 45 minutes, followed by a live audience Q&A session with Yue. After the live webinar, the lecture (without Q&A) will be available for on-demand viewing on Caltech's YouTube channel.

Since 1922, The Earnest C. Watson Lectures have brought Caltech's most innovative scientific research to the public. The series is named for Earnest C. Watson, a professor of physics at Caltech from 1919 until 1959. Spotlighting a small selection of the pioneering research Caltech's professors are currently conducting, the Watson Lectures are geared toward a general audience as part of the Institute's ongoing commitment to benefiting the local community through education and outreach. Through a gift from the estate of Richard C. Biedebach, the lecture series has expanded to also highlight one assistant professor's research each season.

Watson Lectures are part of the Caltech Signature Lecture Series, presented by Caltech Public Programming, which offers a deep dive into the groundbreaking research and scientific breakthroughs at Caltech and JPL.

▶︎ Register for the Zoom webinar

For more information, visit https://events.caltech.edu/calendar/watson-lecture-2021-01.

Questions? Contact the Caltech Ticket Office via email at [email protected] or leave a message at (626) 395-4652. Please allow 48 hours for a response. Reservations cannot be made over the phone or in person for the Watson Lecture Series.