Quantum Computers: Building and Harnessing the Power of Quantum Machines with Professor Andrea Morello

Quantum computers store data and perform computations by utilizing properties of quantum physics. Quantum computations are performed by these machines by utilizing quantum state features such as superposition and entanglement. Traditional computers store data in binary “bits,” which can be either 0s or 1s. A quantum bit, or qubit, is the fundamental memory unit in a quantum computer. Quantum states such as the spin of an electron or the direction of a photon, are used to create qubits. This could be very useful for specific problems where quantum computers could considerably outperform even the most powerful supercomputers. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps I speak with professor Andrea Morello and we discuss fascinating science & engineering of conceptualizing and building quantum computers. Professor Andrea Morello helps us to unpack and tackle questions such as what a quantum computer is and how we build a quantum computer.

Andrea Morello is the professor of Quantum Engineering in the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications at the University of New South Wales Sydney, Australia.

I begin our conversation by asking professor Morello what a quantum computer is, and how it differs from classical and conventional computers. The no-cloning theorem’s implications in the field of quantum computers are next discussed. The no-cloning theorem states that it is impossible to create an independent and identical copy of an unknown quantum state. Professor Morello’s team uses single-spin in silicon to construct quantum computers, and we go over their approach in depth. The true value of quantum computers can only be realised if we develop creative algorithms that make effective use of quantum computers’ exponentially huge information space and processing capability. We discuss this in detail. We also touch upon the concept of quantum chaos and discuss research in this area. This has been a fascinating discussion.

Complement this with “2062: The World That AI Made” with Professor Toby Walsh and then listen to “Artificial Intelligence: Fascinating Opportunities and Emerging Challenges with Professor Bart Selman.

By |August 31st, 2021|Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Information, Physics, Podcasts, Technology|
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Artificial Intelligence: Fascinating Opportunities and Emerging Challenges with Professor Bart Selman

Research and development in the field of Artificial Intelligence is progressing at an amazing pace. These developments are moving beyond simple applications such as machine vision, autonomous vehicles, natural language processing and medical diagnosis. Future AI systems will be able to use reasoning to make decisions; will employ innovative models of non-human intelligence; will augment human intelligence through human centric AI Systems. These systems will enable us to discover solutions to scientific and social problems, and will enable us to understand the physical world around us that has never been possible up-to this point in time. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with Professor Bart Selman to discuss these fascinating opportunities as well as emerging challenges in the field of Artificial Intelligence.

Bart Selman is a Professor of Computer Science at Cornell University. He is a Fellow of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Professor Bart Selman is the president-elect of The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. We begin our conversation by going through some of the recent developments in the field of Artificial Intelligence and how far we are from achieving the goal of developing Artificial General Intelligence.

We discuss in detail artificial reasoning, non-human intelligence and human centric AI. We also discuss state of the art research on the topic of explainable AI. We then discuss challenges posed by applying research in the field of AI to develop systems such as autonomous weapons, weaponized AI and other similar and sensitive domains. This has been a fascinating discussion about cutting edge research in the field of Artificial Intelligence.

Compliment Professor Selman’s insights with equally fascinating discussion with Professor Toby Walsh “2062: The World That AI Made”.

By |August 14th, 2020|Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Podcasts|
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“Dark Data: Why What You Don’t Know Matters” with Professor David Hand

In the era of big data and super-fast information capturing and processing systems, it is easy to imagine that we have all the information that lead to actionable insights, that we need to make good decisions. However, according to David Hand, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics and Senior Research Investigator at Imperial College London, the data we have are never complete. Just as much of the universe is composed of dark matter, invisible to us but nonetheless present, the universe of information is full of dark data that we overlook at our peril. In his new book “Dark Data: Why What You Don’t Know Matters” Professor David Hand takes us on a fascinating and enlightening journey into the world of the data we don’t see.

As in his book “Brief Answers to the Big Questions” Stephen Hawking notes “No matter how powerful a computer you have, if you put lousy data in you will get lousy predictions out”, it is essential to understand anomalies and imperfections that a dataset may have. These imperfections may lead to incorrect and misleading insights.

The book “Dark Data: Why What You Don’t Know Matters” explores the many ways in which we can be blind to missing data and how that can lead us to conclusions and actions that are mistaken, dangerous, or even disastrous. Full of real-life examples, from the Challenger shuttle explosion to complex financial frauds, the book outlines a practical taxonomy of the types of dark data that exist and the situations in which they can arise, and informs the readers how to recognize and control dark data. Professor David Hand guides us not only to be alert to the problems presented by the things we don’t know, but also shows how dark data can be used to our advantage, leading to greater understanding and better decisions. Data is essential for decision making; the books shows us all how to reduce the risk of making bad decisions.

Complement this conversation with equally fascinating discussion on Artificial Intelligence with professor Bart Selman “Artificial Intelligence: Fascinating Opportunities and Emerging Challenges” and professor Toby Walsh “2062: The World That AI Made”.

By |March 11th, 2020|Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Podcasts|
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