On a mission to build the next generation of AI tech
Three young researchers who made their mark early in their careers received the Young Scientist Award last Friday from Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat. Shabana Begum highlights how their research broke new ground.
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Dr Zhang Hanwang from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is not satisfied with current artificial intelligence (AI) technology, and wants to create smarter, new-generation versions.
He pointed out: "Today's AI only works like a super imitator. Its superpower stems only from the perfect imitation of big data."
The assistant professor at NTU's School of Computer Science and Engineering noted that current AI makes predictions by merely recognising correlations instead of causal links.
He explained: "A fancy AI analyser may discover that nations with more Nobel prize winners consume more chocolate, for instance. If the AI is a policymaker, it will suggest that every kindergarten student should eat more chocolate each day, which is absurd."
The 34-year-old added: "My research is trying to make an energy-efficient AI that predicts by causation but not correlation."
Dr Zhang and his team have developed and been recognised for a number of advanced algorithms that will be the core for next-generation AI. Such advanced AI has a place in daily life, in areas such as online learning and healthcare.
"An AI teacher will not only tell you the solution to the question, but also explain why you made the mistake, and how to avoid similar errors," he said. "By then, AI is no longer just an imitation game, but a thinking, life being."
