Artificial Intelligience (and Games)

In McKinsey & Company’s Disruptive Technology, technologies containing artificial intelligence (AI) are expected to create tens of trillions of dollars in economic impact by the year 2025. Similarly, Gartner, Inc. lists machine learning (a subset of AI) as one of the top 10 strategic technology trends for 2017. Yet another technology fad? Perhaps, but it is hard to imagine any industry that won’t be affected by software applications with “smart” capabilities.
In this talk we present a gentle introduction to artificial intelligence, its past successes, current efforts, and future impact. AI is widely deployed today, but its presence and impact remains largely hidden from the average consumer. All that will change within a decade.

Jonathan Schaeffer is a Distinguished University Professor of Computing Science at the University of Alberta and is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Science. His research are is artificial intelligence. He is best known for applying his research to computer games. He is the creator of the checkers program Chinook, the first program to win a human world championship in any game. In 2007 he announced that checkers was solved: perfect plays leads to a draw. He is a founder of Onlea (onlea.org), the world’s first MOOC production company.

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Rosedale Community Hall, 901 - 11 Avenue NW