Abstract: 

The talk will introduce some of the challenges in creating AI tools that can empower learners through enabling enhanced access to open educational resources that can meet their learning goals and interests. It will cover some aspects of user modelling but also highlight enhanced interface features as well as the creation of an open infrastructure powered by AI enrichment.

Bio: 

John Shawe-Taylor is professor of Computational Statistics and Machine Learning at University College London and Director of the International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) under the auspices of UNESCO at the Jozef Stefan Institute in Slovenia. He has helped to drive a fundamental rebirth in the field of machine learning, with applications in novel domains including computer vision, document classification, and applications in biology and medicine focussed on brain scan, immunity and proteome analysis. He has published over 300 papers and two books that have attracted over 84000 citations.

He has assembled a series of influential European Networks of Excellence. The scientific coordination of these projects has influenced a generation of researchers and promoted the widespread uptake of machine learning in both science and industry that we are currently witnessing. More recently he coordinated the X5gon (x5gon.org) European project developing infrastructure and portals for AI enhanced delivery of open educational materials.

He was appointed UNESCO Chair of Artificial Intelligence in November 2018 and is the leading trustee of the UK Charity, Knowledge 4 All Foundation, championing the cause of open education including assisting with the establishment of the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Educational Resources adopted in 2019.