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Bradford AI expert to appear in Royal Institution’s Christmas lectures

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Prof Hassan Ugail

University of Bradford AI expert Professor Hassan Ugail will appear in the Royal Institution’s 2023 Christmas lectures series.

The annual lecture series, led by Professor Mike Wooldridge, Professor of AI at Oxford University and Director of AI at The Alan Turing Institute will be broadcast on BBC4 and iPlayer from 26-28 December, and is entitled ‘The Truth About AI’.

Professor Ugail (pictured top) is head of the Centre for Visual Computing in the Faculty of Engineering & Digital Technologies. He has pioneered the use of AI in facial recognition and has worked on numerous high-profile cases. He is also currently perfecting a technique to use AI to speed up organ transplants.

Speaking about his appearance on the Christmas Lectures, he said: “Being involved in the 2023 Royal Institution Christmas Lecture is a privilege. My presentation on AI in face recognition offers a very relevant contribution at a time when artificial intelligence is a prominent topic. The lecture, aimed particularly at young people, will surely spark their enthusiasm and inspire them to become the scientists and technologists who will shape the future of humanity."

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Christmas lectures series from Royal Institution

A history of Christmas Lectures

The 2023 Christmas Lectures from the Royal Institution have been inspiring children and adults alike since 1825. The lectures were initiated by Michael Faraday at a time when organised education for young people was scarce. He presented 19 series himself, establishing an exciting new way of presenting science to young people.

They have continued annually since the 1825 series, stopping only for four years during World War II. Many world-famous scientists have given the Lectures including Nobel Prize winners William and Lawrence Bragg, Sir David Attenborough, Carl Sagan, Dame Nancy Rothwell, Hannah Fry, Sir Jonathan Van-Tam and Dame Sue Black.

The Lecture were first broadcast on television by the BBC in 1936 which makes them the first science show on UK national television. They have been broadcast on UK national television every year since 1966.