Abstract:
Progress on AI has been slow. We have a poor understanding of the computational foundations of human intellect. Nonetheless,  we’re at an inflection point, powered by a confluence of several factors, including leaps in computational capabilities, growth in data resources, and advances in algorithms. After sharing reflections about the long-term pursuit of artificial intelligence, I will focus on recent developments in AI and on opportunities and hard challenges ahead. I will discuss key aspirations spanning theory and practice, including the pursuit of more general artificial intelligence, the mastery of human-AI collaboration, and on understanding and addressing the influences of AI advances on people and society.

Bio:
Eric Horvitz is a technical fellow and director of Microsoft Research Labs. His lifelong curiosity about brains and minds has fueled his pursuit of principles of computational intelligence. Beyond theory, he has worked to field AI advances in the open world, with the joint goals of exploring the behavior of systems in realistic settings and of developing applications that can enhance the quality of peoples' lives. He received the Feigenbaum Prize and the Allen Newell Prize for contributions to the field of artificial intelligence and has been elected fellow of the AAAI, ACM, NAE and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Additional background and publications can be accessed at http://erichorvitz.com.