Sheila McIlraith receives Lifetime Achievement Award from Canadian AI Association

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 17:16:59 +0000

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rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 06/10/2024 - 13:16

Faculty

St. George

Department of Computer Science

Faculty of Arts & Science

Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society

Vector Institute

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Sheila McIlraith (photo courtesy of Sheila McIlraith)

Sheila McIlraith, a professor in the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science, has received a 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian AI Association (CAIAC).

McIlraith, who is a Canada CIFAR AI Chair at the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence and associate director at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society, was recognized for her research contributions to knowledge representation and reasoning, automated planning and machine learning.

Over the years, her work has found application in an array of problems including diagnosis and control of electromechanical systems – from photocopiers to robotic and space systems – and automated synthesis of web services that are optimized for personal preferences.

“It’s a tremendous honour to receive this award,” said McIlraith. “I share this recognition with my many wonderful students and collaborators who I have worked with over the years.”

“I congratulate Sheila on this well-deserved recognition,” said Professor Eyal de Lara, chair of the department of computer science. “She is a dedicated and passionate scholar whose leading research on safe and human-compatible AI systems is resonating here at U of T and in the broader computer science community.”

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Karina Vold awarded AI2050 Early Career Fellowship from Schmidt Futures

lanthierj — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 13:17:18 +0000

Karina Vold awarded AI2050 Early Career Fellowship from Schmidt Futures

Research & Innovation

lanthierj Wed, 04/19/2023 - 09:17

Faculty

St. George

Department of Philosophy

Institute for the History & Philosophy of Science & Technology

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(supplied image)

Karina Vold, an assistant professor at the Institute for the History & Philosophy of Science & Technology in the Faculty of Arts & Science, has been awarded an AI2050 Early Career Fellowship from Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt.

This first cohort of 15 scholars was selected to “solve hard problems in artificial intelligence (AI) through interdisciplinary research.”

Vold’s research – at the intersection of the philosophy of cognitive science and technology, AI and psychology – will contribute to progress against these difficult problems, which include “solving for the technical capabilities of AI, deploying AI responsibly and harnessing AI for the benefit of society.”

“We hope the research progress of this group of exceptional, multidisciplinary scholars inspires new ideas within the global AI community, enables breakthroughs and ensures a future in which we all benefit from this promising technology,” said James Manyika, co-chair of AI2050, in a statement.

Vold is cross-appointed to the department of philosophy and is a faculty associate at the Centre for Ethics and a research lead at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. Before joining the University of Toronto, Vold worked as a post-doctoral research associate at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge.

“I’m very grateful to receive this support from Schmidt Futures,” Vold said. “Machine systems using artificial intelligence are increasingly able to outperform humans at specific tasks, such as beating world champions at Go and solving 50-year-old grand challenges in biology. It will be important to consider how humans can use these extraordinary performances to gain access to new insights, thereby aiding our own learning and knowledge discovery.

“My project will draw on a range of fields including philosophy, psychology, history, education and machine learning research, particularly around explainable and interpretable AI.”

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Early Career Fellowship

Schmidt Futures

Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society

Centre for Ethics