Abstract: The development of embodied AI has largely focused on scaling data and computational power, often at the cost of energy efficiency. In contrast, biological intelligence achieves remarkable adaptability with minimal resources, inspiring a shift toward neuromorphic AI, an approach that mimics the structure and dynamics of biological neural systems. In this talk, I will explore the promises and challenges of neuromorphic computer vision from three key perspectives: algorithms, robot actions, and data. First, I will discuss algorithmic advances, including continuous visual hull reconstruction, continuous-time human motion field estimation, and unsupervised independent motion segmentation. Next, I will illustrate how neuromorphic vision enables agile robotic actions by leveraging event-based perception for real-time decision-making. Finally, I will address challenges in training data-driven models with event data, highlighting strategies to enhance data availability and efficiency. By integrating these elements, neuromorphic AI paves the way for energy-efficient, high-performance embodied intelligence in dynamic real-world environments.

Speaker Bio: Ziyun (Claude) Wang is a fifth-year Ph.D. student in the General Robotics, Automation, Sensing & Perception (GRASP) Lab at the University of Pennsylvania, advised by Professor Kostas Daniilidis. His research focuses on developing algorithms for neuromorphic computer vision and integrating them with real hardware to enable agile perception in embodied AI systems. Prior to his Ph.D., he worked at the Samsung AI Center New York, where he developed 3D reconstruction techniques for robotic applications and earned three patents. He also contributed to the Apple Vision Pro team, enhancing user comfort for AR glasses. His research work has been recognized at major computer vision, robotics, and machine learning venues including the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), European Conference on Computer Vision (ECCV), International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR), Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) workshops, and IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (R-AL), with an oral presentation at ECCV placing in the top 2.7%. His research aims to drive the development of next-generation bio-inspired AI systems, enabling more efficient, adaptive, and intelligent embodied perception.

The Association for Computational Linguistics is the international scientific and professional society for people working on problems involving natural language and computation. Membership includes the ACL quarterly journals, Computational Linguistics and Transactions of the ACL, reduced registration at most ACL-sponsored conferences, discounts on ACL-sponsored publications, and participation in ACL Special Interest Groups.

An annual meeting is held each summer in locations where significant computational linguistics research is carried out.

For more information and registration, visit the official website.

You are cordially invited to attend the biweekly Brookhaven AI Mixer (BAM). BAM includes one short talk on AI research happening at BNL, followed by an open mixer over coffee and snacks for everyone to network and discuss all things AI. The first half hour will consist of presentations that will be available via ZOOM, and the second half hour will be for in person only networking.

Join us every other Tuesday at noon in CDSD's Training Room (building 725, 2nd floor) to learn about interesting AI methods and applications, engage with potential collaborators, prepare for pending FASST funding calls, and build a community of AI for Science at BNL.

Embodied Intelligence at Scientific User Facilities

Abstract: This presentation explores the active work integrating artificial intelligence and robotics at the National Synchrotron Light Source II, and a perspective for the future. Through various case studies, we highlight the optimization of operations, improved experimental outcomes, and the orchestration of distributed multimodal experiments. This ongoing development includes collaborators from across the light and neutron sources in the DOE complex. We will elaborate on the open-source Bluesky project, and its capabilities to support adaptive and autonomous experiments. Additionally, we will discuss how Bluesky can be integrated with open-source robotic control software to unlock new flexible automation for autonomous scientific research, which scales to new experiments and continues to leverage human ingenuity.

Biography: Dr. Phillip M. Maffettone is an Associate Computational Scientist in the Data Science and Systems Integration Division at NSLS-II. His research focuses on accelerating scientific discovery at user facilities through the integration of robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced experiment orchestration systems. He leads the N3XTware project, constructing the software architecture for the next 12 beamlines to be built at NSLS-II. Prior to this he built the brain on the world's first mobile robotic scientist at the University of Liverpool, and later spearheaded the machine learning platform for a biotechnology start-up, BigHat Biosciences. He holds a DPhil in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Oxford and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University at Buffalo.

Location: CDS, Bldg. 725, Training Room

Link: https://bnl.zoomgov.com/j/16049713 31?pwd=nc5CV3cOFrdYxordFieP W07tIDmwYb.1

Meeting ID: 160 497 1331
Passcode: 289875

Abstract: Self-supervised representation learning (SRL) has emerged as a pivotal advancement in machine learning, offering high-quality data representations without the need for labeled datasets. While SRL has demonstrated enhanced adversarial robustness compared to supervised learning, its resilience against other attack types, particularly backdoor attacks, remains an open question. Recent studies have revealed potential vulnerabilities in SRL, underscoring the necessity for a comprehensive security analysis. However, existing research often extrapolates attacks from supervised learning paradigms, neglecting the unique challenges and opportunities inherent to self-supervised mechanisms.

This thesis proposal aims to address three critical objectives in the realm of self-supervised learning: (1) exploring novel attack vectors, (2) implementing and evaluating practical attacks, and (3) developing robust countermeasures. We focus on two key SRL paradigms: Contrastive Learning and Diffusion Models. For Contrastive Learning, we synthesize existing security vulnerabilities and introduce innovative attack vectors, such as CTRL, to uncover distinctive risks. We conduct a comparative analysis of contrastive and supervised learning approaches in their defense against these threats, exploring potential safeguards and highlighting the limitations of current protective measures in self-supervised contexts. Regarding Diffusion Models, we demonstrate inherent vulnerabilities in their application to adversarial purification.

Our research aims to illuminate the unique challenges posed by emerging attack vectors in self-supervised learning, fostering technical advancements to address underlying security risks in real-world applications. By contributing to the development of more resilient and secure self-supervised representation learning systems, we seek to enhance their reliability and trustworthiness in practical scenarios. This comprehensive examination of SRL's security landscape will provide valuable insights for the broader machine-learning community and pave the way for more robust AI systems.

Join here.
Abstract: Modern technologies enable enhanced integrity and privacy guarantees not just for data, but also for computation. This is perhaps most emphatically demonstrated by the steady rise of zero-knowledge proofs, which are short certificates that attest to the correctness of computations (e.g., an age verification check) without revealing any secret inputs (e.g., the birth date on a digital ID). This subtly powerful technology enables anonymous credentials, privacy-preserving machine learning, anonymous blockchains, and much more--making the question of efficient zero-knowledge proofs fundamental to modern secure systems. Echoing Moore's law for computing, zero-knowledge proofs have improved on this front by ten orders of magnitude in the last two decades. In this talk, I will discuss our work on overcoming a key bottleneck that has emerged in this development: memory efficiency.

Speaker: Abhiram Kothapalli is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, hosted by Sanjam Garg. He is a recent graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, where he earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science, advised by Bryan Parno. Previously, he was at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned his B.S. in Computer Science and B.S. in Mathematics. Kothapalli's research develops cryptographic techniques aimed at scaling expressive privacy and integrity guarantees across the internet.

Location: NCS 120
This symposium will highlight how artificial intelligence (AI) can assist in dementia detection, research and clinical care. For example, the use of robotics to assist with dementia care therapy is truly inspirational and cutting-edge for clinicians, trainees and the community at large, including assisted living facilities. The symposium will also focus on the role of AI in early detection of dementia and in identifying characteristics associated with future cognitive decline.

Learn more and register at https://cme.stonybrookmedicine.edu/continuing-medical-education/conferences/233/alzheimers-symposium-ai-the-future-of-dementia-care-2024/11/15/2024

You are cordially invited to attend the biweekly Brookhaven AI Mixer (BAM). BAM includes three short talks on AI research happening at BNL, followed by an open mixer over coffee and snacks for everyone to network and discuss all things AI. The first half hour will consist of presentations that will be available via ZOOM, and the second half hour will be for in person only networking.

Join us every other Tuesday at noon in CDSD's Training Room (building 725, 2nd floor) to learn about interesting AI methods and applications, engage with potential collaborators, prepare for pending FASST funding calls, and build a community of AI for Science at BNL.

Tuesday, January 7, 2025, 12:00 pm -- CDS, Bldg. 725, Training Room

Speakers

Chuntian Cao, CDS AID - Neural Network Potential (NNP) for Battery Electrolytes

Yeonju Go, NPP Physics - Generative AI for High-Energy Nuclear Physics

Gilchan Park, CDS AID - Graph RAG: Indexing, Retrieval and Generation

Join ZoomGov Meeting: https://bnl.zoomgov.com/j/1615289117?pwd=Hqkbj9itxWrFnkhZ8rQXHPInO2gxdF.1

Meeting ID: 161 528 9117
Passcode: 991382