An Interview MIT Media Lab, Associate Professor, Ramesh Raskar

We spoke to Ramesh Raskar, Associate Professor at MIT Media Lab ahead of his presentation (12th November 2020) at Inspired AI, the series of 10 cutting-edge and CPD Accredited business, science, tech and networking online events gathering the global AI community and hosted by world-leading AI experts #withoutborders running from September to November 2020.

How do you think AI will make its biggest mark in business/on humanity/the world in the next 5 years? 10 years? 20 years?

Over the next five, ten, and twenty years, AI will prove itself as a strong concept with applications across multiple industries.

So Ramesh, how do you think AI will cause human contact to change in the future?

The use of AI may change how healthcare is administered, for example, allowing doctors and laboratories to be more "hands-off" in their diagnosis of disease via tissue samples. It will augment human capacities and disrupt classic human activities, while also will amplifying human effectiveness at the same time.

If you could solve any global problem in the world with AI, what would it be?

I would implement AI to track other pandemic diseases and use the data collected to minimize their progress and propagation, while building trust in use of AI Tools that focus on privacy, confidentiality, data security, informed consent, and clarity about data ownership.

Presuming that was solved, what would your second choice be?

My second choice would be to use AI in various types of optics.

What are you most excited about at Inspired AI?

I am most excited about the opportunity to share information about my own research and recent projects, and also find collaborators on the work we are doing.

What are your personal goals from the event?

My goals are to learn about the research of other scientists in my field as well as in other fields.

What do you see as the 3 most important things for businesses in relation to AI at the moment?

Funding, client base, and finding investors (in public/ private partnerships).

What do you see as the 3 most important things for humanity in relation to AI at the moment?

Accessibility, approachability, and value

What’s the “coolest”/ most “wow-factor" thing you’ve seen so far in with the use of AI in the sector you work in?

The use of thermal imaging for seeing around corners, a project on which I collaborated with one of my research assistants.

What’s your biggest fear in relation to the application of AI?

My biggest fear is how to make the AI accessible and approachable for the general population. It needs to be handled with right data privacy structures in place, or else It could enable brutal global dictatorship with unprecedented inequality, biases and surveillance.

Which 2 people do you admire most in the world of AI in terms of their work?

I admire my postdoctoral associates and my research assistants.

Why did you choose to present at Inspired AI this year?

I chose to present at Inspired AI this year because I feel that the attendees will be interested in learning more about the PrivateKit software I and my collaborators have developed.

Join Ramesh and the global AI community at Inspired AI (Sept-Nov 2020) to tackle head-on the most burning AI issues and set the global AI agenda. inspired-minds.co.uk/inspired-ai