Inaugural Hasso Plattner Endowed Chair in Artificial Intelligence
Professor Padhraic Smyth has been appointed the inaugural Hasso Plattner Endowed Chair in Artificial Intelligence at the University of California, Irvine.
Prof. Smyth has made significant contributions to the field of artificial intelligence throughout his distinguished career. Over the past four decades, his research has focused on the development of theories and algorithms for machine learning, with a particular emphasis on probabilistic and statistical methods that have set the foundation for transformative advances across diverse fields such as climate science, medicine, and digital humanities. In recent years, Prof. Smyth has directed his research towards human-AI collaboration and algorithmic fairness. His work has not only pushed the boundaries of theoretical AI but has also led to practical applications that positively impact society.
A public lecture, followed by a brief reception, will take place at Beall Applied Innovation (5270 California Avenue) on the UC Irvine campus on Tuesday, June 3 from 4pm.
This event will provide an opportunity to hear from Prof. Smyth about the future of AI and his impact on the field. It will also recognize the generous contribution from SAP for the establishment of this endowed chair and feature remarks from SAP Chief Technology Officer Philipp Herzig.
About SAP and Hasso Plattner
As a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, SAP stands at the nexus of business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted SAP to bring out their best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience.
Hasso Plattner is a German businessman who co-founded SAP in 1972, rising to the level of CEO before stepping down in 2003. He served as chairman of the company’s supervisory board from 2003 to 2024.