The 42nd IEEE International Conference on Computer Design (ICCD 2024)
November 18-20, 2024
Milan, Italy
Artificial Intelligence faces three critical challenges: the "Energy Challenge," marked by unsustainable training energy consumption; the "Alignment Challenge," where misaligned AI systems pose safety and societal risks; and the "AGI Challenge," which involves transitioning to Artificial General Intelligence with fully integrated modalities and advanced functions. The outdated view of computer system design as a separate domain from AI, along with the perception of AI hardware (like GPUs) as mere commodities, hinders progress in addressing these issues. In this talk, we propose that enhancing energy efficiency requires a shift away from the narrow perception of AI as solely a software solution. We advocate for a holistic approach that incorporates integrated system design and innovative hardware technologies, such as neuromorphic computing. To tackle alignment challenges, we must acknowledge the crucial role of system architecture in moral decision-making, reflecting how the human brain uses signal comparators, feedback mechanisms, and control functions. Without this understanding, achieving alignment will be nearly impossible. Additionally, effective system design is vital for evolving AGI from multiple narrow AI models to integrated co-processing systems that support high-level functions.
Dr. Eren Kurshan is an AI researcher and technology executive focused on building AI systems for large-scale industrial use cases. Kurshan received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, Los Angeles, as well as a Master's in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. She has been leading AI, machine learning and innovation programs at Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Bank of America and IBM T.J. Watson Research Labs. From 2015 to 2016 Kurshan was a Visiting Fellow at Princeton's Center for Information Technology Policy and served as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University between 2014-2020. Dr. Kurshan published over 80 peer reviewed technical publications and holds ~265 patents. She has served as an associate editor of several IEEE and ACM journals and transactions including the Transactions on Emerging Technology, Transactions on Computers and the Journal of Emerging Technologies in Computing. She was the recipient of 2 Best Technical Paper Awards from IEEE and ACM conferences (ICCD and ISLPED), as well as top inventor and licensing awards from Bank of America and IBM. She received 2 Outstanding Research and Corporate Accomplishment Awards from IBM for her work on system design and optimization and emerging technology development respectively. Dr. Kurshan received the "Inventor of the Year Award" from New York Intellectual Property and Law Association for her contributions in financial crime detection computer systems.