CMU Faculty Participate in Global AI Conferences Ahead of Paris AI Action Summit

Faculty from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science recently traveled to Paris to participate in international gatherings of experts addressing the future of artificial intelligence.

Zico Kolter(opens in new window), director of the Machine Learning Department(opens in new window) (MLD), and Vincent Conitzer(opens in new window), a professor in the Computer Science Department(opens in new window) (CSD), presented at the International Association for Safe and Ethical AI (IASEAI) conference. Language Technologies Institute(opens in new window) (LTI) Professor Justine Cassell(opens in new window) and Eric Xing(opens in new window), a professor in MLD, LTI and CSD, spoke during a scientific conference that was part of the AI Action Summit.

At the inaugural IASEAI conference(opens in new window), held Feb. 6–7, leading experts from academia, civil society, industry, media and government discussed developments in AI safety and ethics. Kolter joined a panel addressing strategic foresight for safe and ethical AI. Conitzer gave a talk titled "Getting AI Systems (Collectively) To Behave the Way We (Collectively) Want Them To."

As part of the AI Action Summit, experts in mathematics, physics, biology and social sciences convened Feb. 6 –7 for AI, Science and Society: Connections, Collectives and Collaboration(opens in new window). The conference aims to foster dialogue at the intersection of technological innovation, interdisciplinary scientific inquiry and societal evolution. Xing spoke during a plenary session and participated in the roundtable discussion, "AI at an Inflection Point: Where Do Foundation Models Lead Us?" Cassell was part of a workshop on AI's impact in the sciences and humanities.

Both conferences were held before the AI Action Summit(opens in new window) on Feb. 10–11. At the summit, heads of state and government, leaders of international organizations, CEOs of small and large companies, representatives of academia, nongovernmental organizations, artists, and members of civil society from nearly 100 countries gathered to discuss the development of AI technologies in a global context. The summit tackled issues ranging from the future of work, science and health to the role that women, minorities and children should play in developing new technologies.  

Ahead of the summit, the United Kingdom published the "International AI Safety Report(opens in new window)," a comprehensive synthesis of current literature on the risks and capabilities of advanced AI systems. The report was the culmination of work by 100 AI experts. The writing group included Hoda Heidari(opens in new window), an assistant professor in MLD and the Software and Societal Systems Department(opens in new window), and Emma Strubell(opens in new window), an assistant professor in the LTI.