Local AI
Initiatives
Deep Thinking Hour
The Deep Thinking Hour@Amsterdam is a series of discussions at a roundtable format, debating interesting questions on Deep Learning, Machine Learning, Computer Vision. The Deep Thinking Hour is organized by Efstratios Gavves and his students at the University of Amsterdam; Samuele Papa, Riccardo Valperga, David Knigge, and Miltos Kofinas.
Search Engines Amsterdam
Information drives the planet. We organize talks around implementations of information retrieval, in search engines, in recommender systems, or in conversational assistants. Our meetups are usually held on the last Friday of the month, at Science Park Amsterdam. Usually, we have two talks in a row, one industrial, the other academic, 25+5 minutes each, no marketing, just algorithms, followed by drinks. We also host ad hoc “single shot” events whenever an interesting visitor stops and shares their work.
Follow @irlab_amsterdam on Twitter for the latest updates.
Computational Linguistics Seminar
The CLS is the Computational Linguistics Seminar of the University of Amsterdam. Seminars are open to all interested researchers and students of all levels from UvA and elsewhere. To make sure you do not miss any talk, you can add the CLS agenda to your calendar. Link to the CLS calendar.
The CLS usually takes place on Tuesdays at 16:00 in room L3.36 at LAB42 in Amsterdam Science Park or via Zoom. Other days and locations are occasionally possible. See the details for each talk. To receive the details please subscribe to the CLS mailing list. The links to participate on Zoom will be distributed via the mailing list on the day of the seminars. To receive notifications about upcoming talks and the Zoom details, please join the CLS mailing list. Subscribe to the announcement mailing list.
The seminar is organised by Jelke Bloem and Alina Leidinger.
Inclusive AI
The IAI is an inclusive space for members to get non-academic help from senior peers in the field and connect with like-minded people of similar backgrounds. We organize seminars where students can present their research interests, field trips to AI/ML conferences, social get-togethers, and talks. Our goal is to directly combat the infamous leaky pipeline found in academia.
We currently offer a mentorship scheme for students of the UvA AI master’s program. Each student will be assigned a mentor from the IAI programme which will be selected according to the student and mentor’s preferences when possible.
The programme lasts for one academic year with an opportunity to extend, as long as the student is enrolled at UvA.
Amsterdam AI Meetup for women and people outside the gender binaries
The meet-ups for women and gender minorities in AI currently happen on a semi-regular basis every few months and are meant as an informal meet-up where people can meet and connect. We usually have no specific agenda for the meet-up, come and chat, meet your future collaborators or mentors, be challenged by others viewpoints, discuss your cat pictures.
Organiser: Maria Heuss (m.c.heuss@uva.nl).
Amsterdam Causality Meeting
In Fall 2023, a new causality seminar will start, co-organized by Sara Magliacane, Joris Mooij and Stéphanie van der Pas.
The aim of the seminar is to bring together researchers in causal inference from the VU, UvA, Amsterdam UMC and CWI, but the seminar is open to everyone. We plan to organize 4 events per year, where each event consists of two scientific talks and a networking event with drinks afterwards.
Sign up for the Google Group: amscausality@googlegroups.com
AI Safety Initiative Amsterdam (AISIA)
Our initiative aims to build an engaged and knowledgeable community around AI Safety through a mix of educational, research, and community-building activities. Below is an overview of the key activities we want to implement. A schematic overview of the activities below is available here.
Technical Course: This course will provide participants with a deep understanding of the technical foundations of AI Safety (content of the course). It will cover topics such as alignment, interpretability, and risk mitigation in AI systems. Participants will engage with readings, discussions, and a final project to develop a solid grasp of current challenges and research directions in the field.
Governance Course: Complementing the technical course, this one focuses on the governance, policy, and ethical dimensions of AI Safety (content of the course). It will introduce participants to frameworks for AI regulation and responsible deployment of AI technologies. The goal is to equip attendees with the tools to think critically about AI governance and its societal implications.
Speaker Events: We will host speaker events featuring experts who will discuss current developments, challenges, and opportunities in AI Safety. These sessions are designed to raise awareness, inspire new ideas, and allow participants to engage directly with leading voices in the field.
Hackathons: Hackathons will provide hands-on opportunities for participants to apply their knowledge, collaborate in teams, and develop innovative solutions to AI Safety problems. These events will foster creativity, skill development, and the generation of new ideas that could evolve into long-term projects.
Weekly Discussion Groups: These groups will serve as spaces for participants to discuss recent research papers, share progress on ongoing projects, and explore emerging ideas in AI Safety. The discussions will encourage critical thinking, collaboration, and continuous learning among members.
Research Group: The research group will connect motivated scholars to work on AI Safety projects. This initiative aims to also encourage cross-disciplinary research and develop contributions to the field. Participants will benefit from mentorship, peer feedback, and opportunities to conduct and publish research.
Collaboration with Other Universities: To strengthen the national and international network for AI Safety, we will partner with other universities to share resources, co-host events, and collaborate on research projects.
Bi-Weekly Socials: Regular social gatherings will allow members to connect on a personal level, share interests, and build a strong sense of belonging within the community. They are crucial for fostering collaboration and sustained engagement across all our initiatives.
The LinkedIn page can be accessed here.
AI, Culture, and Society Seminar
Do you know an AI initiative, such as regular talks or seminars, organised locally here at the University of Amsterdam that requires support from the ELLIS unit Amsterdam?
Contact us: ellisinfo-science@uva.nl.
