FSE Professorial Inaugural Lecture - Professor Gavin Brown
Channel: UoMCompsci
Date: 2018-03-28

Finding New Ways To Think - 20 Years in Machine Learning

21 March 2018, Kilburn Building
School of Computer Science at The University of Manchester

Machine Learning is changing the world. But it's still a young field, compared to the classical science and engineering disciplines. The exciting potential for the field has created a veritable sandstorm of new ideas and papers, increasing all the time.

Since I started my PhD in 1998, my time has focused on finding new ways to think, to see a clear path through that sandstorm. My team has found connections and built bridges that unify seemingly disparate parts of the literature - we've created principles, theories, and frameworks that simplify the field. This has enabled new directions, from stronger foundations. This lecture will review some highlights, structured around three strategies, or “ways of thinking”.  Following this approach, we've built bridges from deep learning to statistical feature selection, from there to computer architectures and reproducible research, and from medical drug trials to domestic violence.

Professor Gavin Brown