Judea Pearl

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Judea Pearl
Professor UCLA
87 YEARS YOUNG
Professor Judea Pearl is a renowned Artificial Intelligence expert and a Computer Science Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is widely recognized as a pioneer in Bayesian networks, having invented them in the 1980s. His groundbreaking work on Bayesian networks has significantly impacted AI and statistics and has been applied in computational biology and error-control coding fields.

In addition to his work on Bayesian networks, Pearl is also the author of Heuristics: Intelligent Search Strategies for Computer Problem Solving, which has served as a foundation for AI research on search and planning for the past three decades. Pearl's book on Causality: Models, Reasoning, and Inference introduce a calculus that enables machines to reason about actions and observations and helps scientists assess cause-effect relationships from empirical data. His research has contributed to developing Google searches, credit-card fraud detection systems, and automated speech recognition systems.

Pearl's contributions to the field of AI have been widely recognized. In 2011, he was awarded the Association for Computing Machinery's A.M. Turing Award, considered the highest honor in computer science. Through his work, Pearl has pushed the boundaries of what machines can do, and his research continues to inspire and inform the development of AI technologies.
The Daniel Pearl Foundation was formed in 2002 in memory of journalist Daniel Pearl to promote the ideals that inspired his life and work.
danielpearl.org
Fun Facts
Pearl was born in Tel Aviv, Israel.
He completed his Ph.D from Rutgers University at age 24.
His son Daniel Pearl was a journalist who was kidnapped and murdered by terrorists while reporting in Pakistan.
Memorable Quotations2
skepticism has its place. Statisticians are paid to be skeptics; they are the conscience of science.
the surest kind of knowledge is what you construct yourself.
Notable Awards
Honorary Fellowship, Royal Statistical Society – 2020
BBVA Frontier of Science Award – 2022
Summary of recent tweets
Judea Pearl has been tweeting about a variety of topics lately. On December 8th, he shared a Hanukkah Miracle and expressed his concerns about the removal of CAIR from the national strategy on antisemitism. He also posted a poetic ode to elephants, touching on themes of being ignored and blind. In addition to these personal reflections, Judea Pearl tweeted about his ongoing research in causal inference (CI). He shared links to papers and articles discussing CI principles and their application in various fields. He highlighted the importance of rationality in treating causal rules as default. Furthermore, Judea Pearl commented on current events related to Israel and antisemitism. He discussed resignations at Harvard, questioned the source of "lack of agency" described by others, and criticized inviting certain mindsets into discussions on combating antisemitism. He also addressed issues surrounding Zionism, Hamas, and media bias towards Jews and Israel. Based on these tweets, it is clear that Judea Pearl has mixed sentiments regarding AI's progress. While he shares positive moments like celebrating Hanukkah and expressing joy for his grandson's first American election vote, he also expresses frustration with media bias, concerns about antisemitism, and criticism towards certain organizations or individuals. Overall, Judea Pearl's recent tweets reflect both positive moments in his personal life as well as strong opinions on social issues such as antisemitism and biases related to Israel.

Books By Professor Judea Pearl

Causality: Models, Reasoning and Inference

Causality: Models, Reasoning and Inference

Probabilistic Reasoning in Intelligent Systems: Networks of Plausible Inference

Probabilistic Reasoning in Intelligent Systems: Networks of Plausible Inference

Videos Featuring Professor Judea Pearl
Judea Pearl: Metaphors are the Basis of Intelligence | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Metaphors are the Basis of Intelligence | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Descartes Was the Greatest Mathematician of All Time | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Descartes Was the Greatest Mathematician of All Time | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Causal Networks | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Causal Networks | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Daniel Pearl | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Daniel Pearl | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Correlation and Causation | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Correlation and Causation | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Do(x) Operator and Do-Calculus | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Do(x) Operator and Do-Calculus | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Concerns for AGI | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Concerns for AGI | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Free Will is an Illusion | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Free Will is an Illusion | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Advice for Students | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Advice for Students | AI Podcast Clips

Judea Pearl: Causal Reasoning, Counterfactuals, and the Path to AGI | Lex Fridman Podcast #56

Judea Pearl: Causal Reasoning, Counterfactuals, and the Path to AGI | Lex Fridman Podcast #56

Twitter Timeline of Professor Judea Pearl