MBZUAI hosted a talk on causal AI, featuring Professor Jin Tian from Iowa State University. The talk covered enriching AI systems with causal reasoning capabilities, moving AI beyond prediction to understanding. Professor Tian shared research on causal inference and estimating causal effects from data, using a novel estimator with double/debiased machine learning (DML) properties. Why it matters: Causal AI can improve the explainability, robustness, and adaptability of AI systems, addressing limitations of purely statistical models.
This article discusses a talk by Mingming Gong from the University of Melbourne at MBZUAI on bridging causality and machine learning. The talk focuses on using machine learning to discover causal structures from observational data, and leveraging causal structures to improve machine learning generalization and prediction in non-stationary environments. Gong's research explores theoretical foundations and computational innovations in causal structure learning from real-world data. Why it matters: This research direction is crucial for advancing AI systems that can reason about cause and effect, leading to more robust and reliable decision-making in complex environments.
MBZUAI Professor Kun Zhang's research focuses on causality in AI systems, aiming to understand underlying processes beyond data correlation. He emphasizes the importance of causality and graphical representations to model why systems produce observations and account for uncertainty. Zhang served as a program chair at the 38th Conference on Uncertainty in Artificial Intelligence (UAI) in Eindhoven. Why it matters: This highlights the growing importance of causality and uncertainty in AI research, crucial for responsible AI deployment and decision-making in the region.
MBZUAI's Kun Zhang is applying causal machine learning to improve drug development and precision medicine, focusing on answering 'why' questions. Traditional drug development is costly (est. $2B) due to extensive studies needed to determine drug toxicity and efficacy. Zhang is combining causal ML with organs-on-chips technology to improve pre-clinical drug testing, aiming to reduce the failure rate of drugs in human trials. Why it matters: By improving the accuracy of pre-clinical drug testing, this research could significantly reduce the cost and time required to bring new medicines to market in the region and worldwide.
MBZUAI Professor Kun Zhang is developing machine learning techniques to identify hidden causal variables, which are underlying concepts driving cause-and-effect relationships. Zhang and colleagues from Carnegie Mellon University are presenting a new approach for this at ICML 2024. Their method, causal representation learning, assumes that measured variables are generated by unobserved latent variables. Why it matters: Uncovering hidden causal relationships can significantly advance understanding in various fields by revealing the underlying mechanisms driving observed phenomena.