Professor Nick Jennings CB FRS FREng
Vice Chancellor and President, Loughborough University

Sponsored by Loughborough University

Professor Jennings is Vice-Chancellor and President of Loughborough University. Professor Jennings was the Vice-Provost for Research and Enterprise at Imperial College London, the UK Government’s first Chief Scientific Advisor for National Security, and Regius Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton

Summary: In our increasingly connected world, computation is everywhere and we are generating ever more data about everything. These trends will profoundly change the ways in which we work with computers. Specifically, we need the machines to be smarter and more helpful. Central to this vision is the means by which we can forge effective partnerships with such artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Until now, humans have generally been the masters and technology the slave. This needs to change. Today’s AI systems can act on high-level human commands and achieve complex goals in a flexible manner. But, while such systems are good at solving narrowly defined tasks, they don’t know how to collaborate with humans or how to operate as part of a problem-solving team. This talk will explore how humans and AI systems can work together. In such partnerships, the humans and the AI systems complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses, leading to a rise in the humans, as well as in the machines. Drawing on multi-disciplinary work in the areas of AI, autonomous systems, machine learning, crowd sourcing and the internet of things, this talk explores the past and the present of such systems through a number of case studies. Looking to the future, the limitations of current AI systems are discussed, as well as the associated ethical and societal implications of their widespread adoption.

Attending the lecture: This event is open to both members and non-members to attend in person. The event will also be streamed using Zoom. Unless COVID-19 (or other) restrictions are imposed, it will not be necessary to book in advance. If such restrictions are put in place, then this webpage will be updated with information on how to book.

Members: Members will receive an email about a week before the event providing them with the information required to listen to the lecture using Zoom.

Non-members: Non-members may attend either on Zoom or in-person on payment of £5 (student non-members £3) by booking through EventBrite:

Zoom: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/409271571287

In-person: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/463694943057