CfAA expands its research team
The Centre for Assuring Autonomy has welcomed four new researchers from a cross section of disciplines.
The new additions to the team will support the Centre as we develop the work around our research priorities, with each bringing their own unique insight and perspectives to our key areas of focus.
Dr Laura Fearnley, joins as Research Associate in Safe and Ethical AI, and will use her background in moral philosophy and causation to focus on causal modelling approaches in AI. Her research at the Centre will focus on what constitutes harm in the safety context, and more specifically how traditional notions of safety centre around physical or social damage need to be adapted in the age of AI.
Regarding joining the Centre Dr Fearnley said: “I was impressed by the high quality of the research produced by the Centre, having previously read a number of articles.
“What stood out especially was the Centre’s commitment to public engagement. By offering a freely accessible knowledge base on their website, valuable insights are publicly available which empowers communities, contributes to public debate and furnishes industry with knowledge. I was eager to contribute beyond academia and apply my theoretical skills in an applied domain, and the Centre seemed the right place to do that.”
Dr Kate Preston brings an additional healthcare focus to the Centre’s team as a Research Associate in Safe Autonomy in AI with a particular interest in human-centred assurance, development, and organisational readiness for future AI technologies. It was our commitment to safety which attracted Dr Preston to the Centre: “I like the fact that the Centre is driven by safety in AI and autonomy across sectors. This will ensure that AI is safe, and isn’t implemented in real world settings without these assurances. This research is really interesting and important.”
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Clockwise from top left: Yash Deo, Dr Kate Preston, Dr Kavan Fatehi and Dr Laura Fearnley
Bringing expertise on deep learning systems and data is Dr Kavan Fatehi who completed his PhD at the University of Nottingham. Working as a Research Associate at the Centre, Dr Fatehi will examine the application of explainable reinforcement learning within the context of 6G networks.
Complementing the above specialism with a focus on lifelong AI safety is Yash Deo, who worked on his PhD in Generative AI for medical imaging at the University of Leeds. Yash is waiting for his viva to take place. He said: "The Centre is one of the few places focused on AI safety research, more so with the belief that this is something you cannot integrate into a model once it has finished training; it is something that must be incorporated during the model’s training. I feel this is very important and it is something I wanted to make a contribution towards.”
Research Director, Professor Ibrahim Habli, said: “I’m delighted to welcome our four new Research Associates, all of whom bring valuable and important skills, knowledge, and experience to the Centre. The mix of disciplines continues our successful approach of being a multidisciplinary research centre and the multiple benefits this can bring in supporting industries, like healthcare, with the implementation, and life-long assurance, of AI and autonomous systems.”