In April 2023, CITRIS and the Banatao Institute and the Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Research Laboratory (BAIR) co-hosted four Distinguished Lectures on the Status and Future of AI under the CITRIS Research Exchange banner. The series, held in CITRIS’s Banatao Auditorium in Sutardja Dai Hall and livestreamed via YouTube, featured four of the world’s leading experts on the science and ethics of artificial intelligence (AI).
Stuart Russell
In his April 5 lecture, CITRIS principal investigator (PI) and UC Berkeley professor of computer science Stuart Russell noted the rise of AI and its simultaneous ability to either improve quality of life or destroy civilization. To ensure AI aligns with human interests, he stressed the need to rethink how the technology is both developed by companies and regulated by nations.
Sergey Levine
Sergey Levine, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences and leader of the Robotic AI & Learning (RAIL) Lab at UC Berkeley, discussed algorithmic advances that can help machine learning systems retain both discernment and flexibility during his April 12 lecture.
Michael I. Jordan
On April 19, Michael I. Jordan, the Pehong Chen Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and in the Department of Statistics at UC Berkeley, focused his lecture on the intersections of AI with economics, statistics and computer science. He argues that intelligence is just as crucial to the collective as it is to individual agents, necessitating an interactive approach to agents in AI.
Pamela Samuelson
Pamela Samuelson, Richard M. Sherman Distinguished Professor of Law at UC Berkeley, delivered the final lecture in the series on April 26, in which she explores whether the texts and images generated by artificial intelligence (AI) should be protected under copyright law.