UP readies AI conference

MANILA, Philippines — As the 2024 Nobel Prize hailed scientific breakthroughs which made artificial intelligence (AI) technology possible, the University of the Philippines will gather the country’s experts for a conference underscoring AI’s profound impact on society, modern science and the research community.

The university-organized “AI Horizons PH ‘24: Conference on AI-Powered Research and Innovation” on Oct. 24 and 25 at the UP-BGC campus in Taguig City will also highlight AI-driven solutions that can potentially transform the Philippines’ unique challenges in food security, sustainable agriculture, quality education, good governance, materials and energy and health and wellness.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Nobel Committee honored physicist John Hopfield and computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton recently for their “foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.”

It underlined how Hopfield’s work on associative memory and Hinton’s contributions to deep learning had laid the groundwork for today’s AI revolution, from language translation to image recognition and beyond.

“The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics shows that investing in AI is not just an option but an imperative for our nation’s future,” UP president Atty. Angelo Jimenez said.

Conference chair Dr. Prospero Naval, Jr. of the UP Diliman Department of Computer Science said the organizers “aim to ignite AI transformation in our country, championing a vision where AI is integrated into everything and made accessible to everyone.”

“AI’s transformative potential hinges on our commitment to digital infrastructure and data-driven strategies across all sectors,” said Peter Sy, UP assistant vice president for Digital Transformation.

AI’s pivotal role across many sectors will be discussed during the two-day conference.

Confirmed keynote speakers per track include Department of Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Allan Umali, Department of Health Undersecretary Glenn Matthew Baggao and executive director Enrico Paringit of the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy.

UP vice president for Academic Affairs Leo Cubillan and UP Diliman chancellor Carlo Vistan will deliver the closing remarks for Day 1 and Day 2 of the conference, respectively.

For more information and registration details, visit https://ai-horizons.up.edu.ph/