Schmidt Sciences has selected 25 scholars, including one from UC San Diego, as fellows in a program to advance research on artificial intelligence.
Electrical and computer engineering professor Yuanyuan Shi has worked on developing A.I. and control models for sustainable energy systems. A particular focus for Shi is A.I.-driven building control systems designed to optimize indoor air quality while reducing energy consumption.
“For large office buildings with hundreds of rooms, accurate simulation of the (partial differential equation) models can take days,” she said. “A.I. provides the critical acceleration that enables fast indoor climate and air quality modeling and simulation.”
Shi added that her work has the potential to be applied to other large-scale systems, such as climate modeling and power grids.
The awards are part of a $12 million program to advance research that “fully realizes the potential of A.I. to benefit humanity,” according to a news release by Schmidt.
The AI2050 program asks researchers to imagine a year 2050 in which A.I. has been “hugely beneficial,” and to pursue projects that help society realize the goal.
The program funds five senior researchers and 20 early career scholars for two years to address a wide range of global challenges in A.I. Two other faculty members from California, Yejin Choi and Ellen Vitercik, both of Stanford University, are among the fellows.
Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, co-founded Schmidt Sciences with his wife Wendy this year with the goal of accelerating scientific knowledge and breakthroughs.
“While the benefits of A.I. can far outweigh the challenges, realizing this potential requires thoughtful action today,” Schmidt said. “We look forward to seeing how the 2024 AI2050 fellows help shape a future where AI serves the greater good.”
Other areas of focus for Schmidt Sciences are astrophysics, biosciences, climate and science systems.
