Artificial Intelligence Talks (AI)

Brainport’s success is largely attributed to human brains. The region with the smartest brains, the highest number of inventions and a highly effective cooperation. Artificial Intelligence is rapidly being embraced in education, in engineering and in coimmunication and interaction. Jean-Paul Linnartz, Iman Mossavat and Parag Gupta have different backgrounds in engineering and in teaching. Do they reach a common opinion? Do they see the future developed in the same direction? Does it only give possitive opportunities?

The ancient Chinese concept of balance, Yin and Yang, suggests that harmony comes from finding a careful balance between opposing forces. While today’s topic isn’t about Chinese philosophy, it resonates with this idea of balance—especially in the context of AI. In episode 11, Iman Mossavat is joined by Diederik Roijers, a senior researcher at the AI Lab at Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Diederik is a specialist in Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning (MORL), Diederik brings a unique perspective into how we can balance competing goals in decision-making, rather than focusing narrowly on optimising just one.

How should we navigate trade-offs, like maximising rewards versus minimising risks? Diederik suggests that pursuing “good enough” outcomes might be more practical—and ethical—than chasing perfection. His vision is hopeful yet pragmatic: by making deliberate choices about how AI is designed and deployed, we can reap the societal benefits of AI. He believes in the possibility of creating AI systems that are innovative, transparent, maintainable, and aligned with societal values. Together, we explore what it might take to ensure AI serves everyone—not just a select few.

Join Iman Mossavat for an insightful episode 10 with special guests Albert Podusenko and İsmail Şenöz, as we dive into the innovative world of Lazy Dynamics. This cutting-edge company is reshaping how agents process and act on real-time data in unpredictable environments. Their software streamlines the development of intelligent systems capable of navigating uncertainty — whether it’s an ambulance optimizing routes or legal tech helping lawyers model strategic uncertainties in complex litigation.

At the heart of their approach is RxInfer, a fast and efficient tool designed to overcome the computational limitations of traditional probabilistic programming libraries, enabling real-time decision-making. With a unique reactive message-passing system, Lazy Dynamics ensures agents can keep reasoning even if some sensors fail — a true breakthrough for dynamic, high-stakes environments.

Discover how collaboration and open-source contributions are fueling their success and how these innovations are shaping the future. Tune in for an episode packed with insights into the future of AI and real-time decision-making!

In episode 9, host Iman Mossavat sits down with Professor Mehdi Dastani, an expert in AI and Human-Centered AI at Utrecht University. They discuss the intersection of AI, formal reasoning methods, and safety, exploring how research from psychology, law, and philosophy can help create AI systems that are more responsible and aligned with human values. Professor Dastani argues for systems that combine domain knowledge and deliberate reasoning with machine learning to address challenges like accidents, biases, and other risks in AI. He also explains his vision for a framework that integrates machine learning, expertise, and reasoning, aiming to improve AI’s reliability in industries where safety is key. Finally, Professor Dastani shares his thoughts on the power imbalance between tech companies and users, discussing how traditional institutions are getting disrupted by technology. Tune in for this conversation on the future of AI and the importance of ethical, reliable systems on Podcasts for Brainport and Radio 4 Brainport.

In episode 8, host Iman Mossavat sits down with Inge Brattinga, a lawyer at VRF Advocaten and lecturer at Avans University of Applied Sciences, to discuss AI and its impact on the workplace. They discuss how AI is changing hiring practices, decision-making, privacy, and human rights. Inge explains the importance of AI literacy and how businesses can use AI responsibly while considering legal and ethical issues.

They also cover key topics like bias in AI systems, the risks of over-trusting AI, and the need for human oversight. Inge highlights why understanding AI and your rights is important for everyone and what accountability looks like when things go wrong. Plus, they touch on how small companies can navigate upcoming regulations under the AI Act. Tune in for practical insights on AI in the workplace.

One example is the new AI act. Did it already deprive European citizens from nice new Apple features? Inge disagrees: Apple just needs to thing a little longer to implements these features in an ethical way, and this slight delay all worth it

In this exciting episode 7, host Iman Mossavat dives deep into the intriguing parallels between evolutionary science and artificial intelligence. Join us as we explore the insights of renowned researcher and Professor of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki, Indre Žliobaitė. She unpacks complex concepts like concept drift, adaptive models, and the No Free Lunch theorem.

We discuss how these ideas from AI can help us understand the dynamics of evolution, including macroevolution, extinction, and competition among species. You’ll learn about the challenges of evolutionary data, the nuances of causality, and the importance of experimental versus observational approaches.

This episode is perfect for anyone curious about how the principles of evolution can inform AI strategies and vice versa. Tune in to gain a fresh perspective on the intersection of these two fascinating fields! Don’t miss it—listen now on Podcasts 4 Brainport!

In episode 6, host Iman Mossavat is joined by Colette Cuijpers, Associate Professor at Tilburg Law School and a leading researcher at the Tilburg Institute for Law. Together, they explore the urgent legal challenges posed by AI, from issues of accountability and bias to the ethical implications of AI’s growing role in our daily lives. Listen to discussions on how emerging technologies are creating unprecedented legal challenges and the balance between innovation and regulation.

Episode 5: Generative AI models are transforming industries, but are they truly understanding the world around them? Alexander Molak argues that these tools while being impressive, are merely correlational devices, not capable of grasping true cause and effect. Molak, a leading machine learning researcher and consultant, and the author of Causal Inference and Discovery in Python, dives deep into why Causal AI might be the key to unlocking the future of intelligent systems.

In episode 4, host Iman Mossavat interviews Prof Gerrit Muller, a distinguished systems engineer and professor at the University of South-Eastern Norway. Muller, with extensive experience including his role as a senior research fellow at TNO-ESI, discusses the intersection of systems engineering and artificial intelligence (AI). He illustrates the importance of a systems perspective using examples from his work on MRI scanners and explores the evolving role of AI in this field. Muller addresses common misconceptions about AI, challenges related to data quality, transparency, and interpretability. He highlights the complementary roles of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and AI, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to avoid over-reliance on AI while using its potential to improve system design and analysis.

AI in education: “Some students are not at university to learn something, but just to get a degree”. Prof Oded Raz is challenged by Jean-Paul Linnartz and Parag Gupta about how a university can made sure that students who get a degree actually also have learned the essentials to work as a professional.

In Ed. 2 host Iman Mossavat is in conversation with Mahault Albarracin, Director of Applied Research. Mahault is also a PhD candidate in the Department of Computing at the Université du Québec à Montréal. The conversation took place following her hybrid talk at the Technical University of Eindhoven (TUE), organized by “HumAIn Dialogues” and “Eindhoven Artificial Intelligence Systems Institute (EAISI)” on April 25, 2024.

Mahault Albarracin shares insights from her unconventional career journey, spanning social sciences to cognitive computing, shaping her perspective on cognition and technology. Mahault highlights how AI’s design often prioritizes objectives such as maximizing efficiency, profit generation, or fulfilling predetermined goals set by those in power. These objectives significantly influence the development and societal impact of AI technologies.

AI will change the distribution of power in a new world order. Mahault Albarracin indicates that AI may expand the gap between haves and have-nots.

Kicking off a series of podcasts, Edition 1

Prof. Yann LeCun (Facebook, inventor of Neural Networks) about Brainport

Facebook increasingly influences how we view the world. We see the opinions of our friends responding to news that may or may not be fake. But which messages we see first and which messages remain hidden is all controlled by algorithms. Algorithms based on Artificial Intelligence. And these algorithms are the work of a large research team led by Professor Yann LeCun. LeCun, thereby is one of the leading technologists behind one of the largest companies in the world. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerburg recognized that his ideas could really boost Facebook, when LeCun was building a formidable reputation in the academic world with his convolutional neural networks, and when already almost all handwritten checks are processed by his algorithms, but when the link between social media and AI was still unexplored. Meanwhile, social media controlled by AI are influencing our lives every day.

Philips, Signify and the TU/e awarded Yann LeCun the prestigious Holst Memorial Medial 2018. Radio4Brainport’s Jean-Paul Linnartz spoke to him on his visit to Eindhoven.