AI + Us featuring Konrad Kording
April is AI Month at Penn! Check out the calendar for a full list of events across campus.
AI is everywhere but talking about it doesn’t require a PhD.
AI + Us is a new Penn AI/Data Driven Discovery Initiative series bringing big ideas about artificial intelligence out of academia and into the world.
Join us at Yards Brewery for our second event featuring Perelman School of Medicine and Penn Engineering's PIK Professor Konrad Kording, followed by an open Q&A moderated by Penn Physics and Astronomy Professor Bhuv Jain.
Professor Kording will discuss how AI could help diagnose conditions like cerebral palsy using patient videos, and what that suggests about a future in which AI supports many kinds of medical diagnosis. He will also explore how AI can act as a thought partner by helping researchers and innovators test new ideas, spot weaknesses, and refine their thinking. Following the talk, Professor Jain will moderate an open Q&A, giving attendees the chance to ask questions, share perspectives, and engage directly with experts in an informal setting.
Expect thoughtful conversation, honest questions, and we promise no exams!
Open to the public (21 and over)
Come for the ideas. Stay for the conversation.
Sponsored by:
Speaker
Konrad Kording
Konrad Kording is redefining the boundaries between neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and causal inference. As Penn Integrates Knowledge (PIK) Professor, he leads pioneering research on how brains and AI systems solve the credit assignment problem—determining what actions led to success or failure. His radical perspective that deep learning only makes sense through evolutionary thinking has influenced how the field approaches AI development. Trained with pioneers Peter König (ETH), Daniel Wolpert (UCL), and Josh Tenenbaum (MIT), Konrad brings unique insights from motor control, Bayesian cognition, and computational neuroscience. His impact multiplies through initiatives he co-founded: Neuromatch has trained 10,000+ students globally in computational neuroscience, while C4R is transforming how scientists approach causality and rigor. After building a world-renowned lab at Northwestern, he now shapes the future of intelligence research at Penn.
As Co-Director of the CIFAR Learning in Machines & Brains Program, Konrad oversees the collective intellectual development of this prestigious program which includes over 30 Fellows, Advisors, and Global Scholars working to understand the computational and mathematical principles behind learning in both biological and artificial systems. The program brings together international scientists to examine how artificial neural networks could be inspired by the human brain and to advance the field of deep learning. Learn more about CIFAR | Konrad’s CIFAR profile.