TITLE: From Blackboards and Similarity to Reasoning with Structure, Time and Space: A Journey of discovery in AI, developing Knowledge Engineering applications to tackle real world problems.
SPEAKER: Miltos Petridis (Middlesex University)

ABSTRACT:
This talk will try to map the main line of research that underpins a journey of research and application of AI techniques in the context of real world problems across the diverse areas of Engineering, Business, Business Process Monitoring, Economics, Marketing, Recommender Systems, Social Networks, Transport, Sport and Health and Psychology Applications. Starting after the AI winter in the 70s and early eighties, from the era of Expert Systems and Intelligent Knowledge Based Systems to the current Era of the so called “Big Data” and “analytics”, the focus is on the evolution and combination of AI techniques to tackle real-life problems.

The key focus of this journey revolves around the concepts of Blackboards, Similarity and reasoning with Structure, Time and Space. The approach followed is based on sound Software Engineering modelling, software architecture, design and management applied to industrial strength projects. A wide variety of tools, techniques, algorithms and methodologies are used, such as Case-based Reasoning, Machine Learning, Data Mining, Intelligent Agents, Semantics, Social Network Analysis, fuzzy and probabilistic reasoning and High-Performance Computing. 

The challenge of Explanation-Aware Computing, Intelligent Visualisation and Business Intelligence are discussed and the focus is User experience are shown to be key to the success of modern AI applications. 

The talk aims to illustrate the key steps in this journey using examples from real applications across a variety of application areas.

Finally, the challenge of hybridisation and combination of intelligent techniques and autonomic behaviour of AI applications and formal domain modelling and a vision towards the future is presented.



Miltos Petridis

Professor Miltos Petridis is the Head of the Department of Computer Science at Middlesex University London and a Professor of Computer Science. 
Previously, Miltos was the Head of Department of Computer Science at the University of Greenwich (2000-2011) and the Head of School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics at the University of Brighton (2011-2016). At Greenwich he was the founding Director of the Centre for Computer and Computational Science (CCCS) and the Centre for Intelligent Business Improvement(CIBI) and at Brighton he founded and led the Knowledge Engineering Group (KEG).
His research interests span the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Case Based Reasoning, Software Engineering, Intelligent Agents and Machine Learning. He has over 25 years’ experience of applying Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning techniques in a business context including 8 KTPs. He has secured a number of grants, including European, EPSRC, Leverhulme and InnovateUK funded. He is the author of over 120 peer refereed papers in the areas of applied Artificial Intelligence and Software Engineering, has been teaching Data Mining and applications at Masters level for many years and has successfully supervised 17 PhD students in his research area. 

Over the past 10 years Prof Petridis has been focusing on Structural and Spacio-Temporal applications of AI, including the automation of Business Workflow monitoring and planning, Product recommendation, Marketing, Transport monitoring and Social media analysis using a variety of AI and Software Engineering techniques.

Prof Petridis is the Membership Secretary of the BCS Specialist Group in AI (SGAI) and is chairing the applications stream of the annual SGAI conference (AI-2017) and the annual UKCBR Symposium.