[Cmi-steering] Centre for Machine Intelligence Update+Request for input

[Sarvapali Ramchurn]

Dear members of the CMI steering committee

It’s been a busy four months since we started the Centre for Machine Intelligence. During that time we’ve organised a number of events and engaged in a number of community building initiatives. These include:

Setting up of the CMI website: www.cmi.ecs.soton.ac.uk <http://www.cmi.ecs.soton.ac.uk/>
Launch event on AI and Blockchain: over 100 attendees, with £700 sponsorship by Oxford Innovation. Half the attendees were from Industry as well as half the speakers.
PhD evening event on AI and MAchine Learning: over 30 attendees with many follow up meetings and resulting Phd applications by UK/Eu students.
Evening on AI and Ethics: three guest speakers from Ordnance Survey, Dundee University, and MoD. Over 60 attendees.
Evening on Robots and their use in Warfare: over 80 attendees (with 140 signed up), mostly from across the university. Speakers included Prof. Enemark (International Relations) and Dr. Rauxloh (Law), and Dr. Munafo (NOC).
Proposal for joint GDPs with FEE: this is being actively pushed by the Dean and Prof. Scanlan from FEE.
Proposal for modifications to AI and Computer Science UG/PGT courses: to be discussed soon at the Education committee (led by JSH2)
Received £15K from the Faculty to support our activities.
CMI Promotional Video produced by an ex BBC producer (see link here:  https://vimeo.com/user2051960/review/267428993/7d4c0d68b1 <https://vimeo.com/user2051960/review/267428993/7d4c0d68b1>, password: ims). 

We now need your help and advice on the following:

Feedback (however minimal) on the video.
Ideas on the following:
We are proposing to organise a showcase event on AI and Machine Learning at the end of September. The plan is to have our best work promoted through lectures, poster session, demos, over the course of a day in Garden Court.
We are proposing to develop a membership programme that will charge Industry actors for access to our students and researchers (e.g., 1 or two speaking spots during our events to promote their internships or job opportunities or to advertise positions on the CMI website).
We are proposing to organise a sandpit event that will tap into existing projects’ funding to develop new cross-cutting ideas from different faculties and departments (e.g., health, law, engineering, etc..) to generate closer collaborations across research groups going beyond the faculty and spark off new grant applications.
Collect all AI and Machine Learning/Robotics relevant project descriptions under the CMI website or newsletter and to do so in a sustainable way.

It would also be great if you could let me know if you have any availability over the coming weeks  (w/c 21st or 28th or even later) for a meeting with all of you of no more than an hour to get everyone's views and for you to meet our board. I’ll then send a doodle that covers your availability.

Kind regards,

Gopal



—
Dr. Sarvapali D. (Gopal) Ramchurn
Associate Professor
Director, Centre for Machine Intelligence,
Electronics and Computer Science,
University of Southampton, UK.
t: +44 (0) 2380599309
w: http://www.sramchurn.com
l: Rm 4021, B32, University Road, Southampton.

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