Rethinking AI Architectures
Amir Shaikhha joined the Department of Computer Science at TU Darmstadt on 1 July as professor for AI Systems and AI Hardware. He is also a member of hessian.AI, the Hessian Centre for Artificial Intelligence. His research aims to redesign the architecture of AI systems to improve their productivity, performance and energy consumption. The 37-year-old scientist, previously an Associate Professor at the University of Edinburgh, names the Dahl-Nygaard Young Scientist Award and the Google Research Scholar Award as his most important academic milestones to date. TU Darmstadt asked Professor Shaikhha a few questions about his start at the university.
Why should students be interested in your topics? What makes them exciting?
Professor Shaikhha: I’m interested in the areas where computer science meets other fields, like data management, programming languages, systems and artificial intelligence. Modern science and industry rely on the ability to analyse large amounts of data quickly, and data analysis systems are the most important part of this process.
The most exciting thing about this field is how quickly it is changing. AI is changing not only what we can do with data, but also how we design the languages, compilers and systems used to process it. This creates lots of chances to make new tools that make data science better, clearer and easier to use.
Interdisciplinarity is central at TU Darmstadt. Where does your field intersect with other disciplines?
Professor Shaikhha: My field is, by its very nature, interdisciplinary, as modern data analysis systems lie at the intersection of several areas of computer science and beyond. Academic disciplines such as biology, medicine, climate science and the social sciences are increasingly reliant on the analysis of large volumes of data. This creates a need for subject-specific tools that enable experts in these fields to work effectively with data without always having to understand the full complexity of the underlying systems.
If I were a student today, I would…
Professor Shaikhha: Make the most of student life by taking part in activities, experiences and meeting new people that I might not have time for or the energy for later in life. I would also like to talk to my fellow students about different topics, whether academic or not. Some of the best learning experiences come from having conversations and debates and feeling curious about the same things.
We’re looking forward to working with you and wish you all the best for a great start!
The questions were asked by Patrick Bal/TU Darmstadt (source).
Picture: Patrick Bal/TU Darmstadt
