Cooperative AI

Speaker: Kate Larson | University of Waterloo

Date: October 3, 2024
Time: 4 pm
Room: LH3058 (Lazaridis Hall (Math Boardroom), Room 3058) & Hybrid

Abstract: Problems of cooperation are ubiquitous and important. They
can be found at scales ranging from our daily routines--such as driving on
highways, scheduling meetings, and working collaboratively--to our global
challenges--such as peace, commerce, and pandemic
preparedness. Since machines powered by AI are playing an ever greater role in our lives, it will be important to equip them with the
capabilities necessary to cooperate and foster cooperation. In this talk, I
will discuss some of the research challenges that emerge when we place
cooperation at the heart of AI systems. 

Bio:  Kate Larson is a professor
and holds a University Research Chair at
the University of Waterloo and is a
research scientist at Google DeepMind.
She is interested in algorithmic questions
arising in artificial intelligence and
multiagent systems with a particular focus
on algorithmic game theory, decision
making, preference modeling, and the
insights that reinforcement learning can
bring to these problems, along with ways
of promoting and supporting cooperative
AI. Among many things, she is co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Autonomous
Agents and Multiagent Systems and
served as program chair for IJCAI 2024.