Dr Allison Yi Hsiang, Dept. of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University: "The Foram in the Machine: Microfossils in the age of automation and AI"

Allison will be available for the entire week (except during the LINXS/Infravis SynchroMage hackaton), providing plenty of opportunities to discuss science and drink coffee together.

Abstract
Recent advances in the technology of artificial intelligence (AI) have led to myriad implementations and applications in a variety of fields, including paleontology. In this talk, I will discuss the current state-of-the-art of AI as applied to fossils, with a particular focus on microfossils and planktonic foraminifera. The integration of AI with other automation techniques such as high-throughput imaging facilitates the rapid generation of taxonomic and morphometric datasets at a scale previously unfeasible. This allows scientists to tackle not only classical questions in evolution, ecology, and geosphere-biosphere interactions with larger, more statistically robust datasets, but also novel questions made accessible by Big data. New technologies, however, always bring new considerations, including the need to temper the tide of enthusiasm and widespread adoption with clear boundaries around the true capabilities of the technology and the broader consequences of its use. We will thus conclude with a discussion about the scientific, practical, and ethical limits of AI and its responsible use.