AI: How did it get here and how can it help?

Abstract: AI has abruptly landed in the public domain, creating both excitement and fear. It will undoubtedly be interweaving into our society and increasing number of aspects of our life. Before its seemingly sudden emergence, researchers have long been working on advancing machine learning methods - a data driven approach to solving problems. Developments in optimisation techniques, classification paradigms, and data representation frameworks form the cores of nowadays AI techniques. This talk will briefly capture the main developments such as multi-objective optimisation, convolutional neural networks, generative models, manifold representations and elaborate how these techniques can be utilised to positively improve existing solutions in various technological sectors. Examples or projects on SF6 replacement, electric networks, surrogate CFD models, agriculture, industrial inspections will be illustrated.

Biography: Hujun Yin is a Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Manchester. His research areas include AI, machine learning, deep learning, signal/image processing, pattern recognition, time series modelling, bio-/neuro-informatics, and interdisciplinary applications. He has supervised over 30 PhD students and published over 200 peer-reviewed articles. Prof. Yin has received over £5 million funding from UK research councils, EPSRC, BBSRC, Innovate UK and industries across 30 projects. Many of his projects involve industries and local SMEs in developing cutting edge AI solutions to real-world problems, from energy challenges, recycling automation, precision agriculture to medical diagnosis. He has served or has been serving as an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks, IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics, IEEE Transactions on Emerging Topics in Computational Intelligence, and the International Journal of Neural Systems. He has also served as the General Chair or Programme Chair for a number of international conferences in AI, machine learning and data analytics. He is a member of the EPSRC Peer Review College, Chair of the IEEE CIS UK & Ireland Chapter, and a Turing Fellow of the Alan Turing Institute.