Stuart Russell

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Stuart Russell
Professor UC Berkeley | Center for Human-Compatible AI
61 YEARS YOUNG
Stuart Russell is an accomplished academic who received his B.A. with first-class honors in physics from Oxford University in 1982 and subsequently earned his Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford in 1986. He is an Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences Professor at the University of California at Berkeley. He holds the Smith-Zadeh Engineering Chair and is the Center for Human-Compatible AI Director. He has previously served as an Adjunct Professor of Neurological Surgery at UC San Francisco and Vice-Chair of the World Economic Forum's Council on AI and Robotics.

Russell has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Presidential Young Investigator Award of the National Science Foundation, the IJCAI Computers, and Thought Award, and the Feigenbaum Prize of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. He also received the World Technology Award in the Policy category, the IJCAI Research Excellence Award, and the Mitchell Prize of the American Statistical Association. He has also been recognized for his contributions to education with Outstanding Educator Awards from ACM and AAAI.

Russell's research interests span a broad range of topics in artificial intelligence, including machine learning, probabilistic reasoning, knowledge representation, planning, real-time decision-making, multitarget tracking, computer vision, and computational physiology. His book, "Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach" (co-authored with Peter Norvig), is widely considered the standard text in AI and has been translated into 14 languages. It is used in 1500 universities across 135 countries.

Aside from his academic work, Russell has collaborated with the United Nations to develop a global seismic monitoring system for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. He is also a vocal advocate for ethical considerations in the development of artificial intelligence. His most recent book, "Human Compatible: AI and the Problem of Control" (Viking/Penguin, 2019), explores the long-term future of AI and its implications for humanity.

Russell's impressive accomplishments have earned him numerous accolades and honors, including being appointed by Her Majesty The Queen as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2021 and being selected as a Reith Lecturer. He is also an Honorary Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford, a Distinguished Fellow of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI, an Associate Fellow of the Royal Institute for International Affairs (Chatham House), and a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, the Association for Computing Machinery, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Fun Facts
Stuart attended St Paul's School, London, where he was 1st scholar.
He has given talks on AI safety at TEDx events around the world.
Memorable Quotations2
Intelligence really means the power to shape the world in your interests, and if you create systems that are more intelligent than humans either individually or collectively then you’re creating entities that are more powerful than us,
If we pursue [our current approach], then we will eventually lose control over the machines. But, we can take a different route that actually leads to AI systems that are beneficial to humans,” said Russell. “We could, in fact, have a better civilization.
Notable Awards
Turing Lecturer, Alan Turing Institute, London – 2020
Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to artificial intelligence research – 2021
Summary of recent tweets
Stuart Russell, a renowned AI researcher, has been quite active on Twitter lately, sharing his thoughts and insights. Analyzing his recent tweets, it appears that he has been discussing various topics related to artificial intelligence. While determining the exact mood from the tweets is challenging without sentiment analysis, Russell's interests seem to revolve around AI ethics, responsible development of technology, and potential risks associated with AI advancements. In one tweet, Russell emphasizes the importance of addressing ethical concerns in AI systems and ensuring they align with human values. He raises awareness about potential risks and advocates for developing machines that consider human preferences rather than optimizing their own objectives at any cost. Another trend observed in his feed is his engagement in discussions about explainability and interpretability in AI algorithms. Russell shares articles and research papers that highlight the significance of understanding how an AI system makes decisions or recommendations. This aligns with his well-known stance on the need for transparency in machine learning models. Moreover, Stuart Russell frequently retweets posts by fellow researchers who explore issues like fairness and bias in artificial intelligence applications. It showcases his support for collaborative efforts towards building fairer algorithms that do not perpetuate societal biases or discriminate against certain groups. Based on these trends, it can be inferred that Stuart Russell continues to actively contribute to ongoing debates surrounding ethical considerations within the field of AI. His focus lies not only on technical advancements but also on fostering responsible practices and mitigating potential adverse impacts caused by AI technologies. As of today (08/07/2023), since there is no mention of him being inactive or any significant gaps between his tweets, we can assume that Stuart Russell remains engaged within both academic circles and public discourse regarding artificial intelligence.

Books By Professor Stuart Russell

Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach

Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach

Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control

Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control