Computer Scientists Make a Splash in Art World Analyzing the Salvator Mundi

Questions have swirled around the Salvator Mundi for years, especially since it became the most expensive painting ever auctioned in 2017, selling for $450 million. Is it truly an authentic piece by Leonardo da Vinci? If so, why didn’t the artist, well versed in the physics of optics, distort the fabric of the robe behind the orb in the hand of Jesus? In the biography Leonardo Da Vinci (Simon & Schuster, 2017), Walter Issacson writes that “Leonardo failed to paint the distortion” and that he wanted to “impart a miraculous quality to Christ and his orb.”

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Computer Science Majors Preston Tai and Brandon Tom Appointed UROP Fellows

UCI’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Faculty Advisory Board has appointed computer science majors Preston Tai and Brandon Tom as UROP Fellows for the 2019-2020 academic year. Tai and Tom will receive $250 in support of their proposed research project, “Python Parallelization in Academia,” under the supervision of Distinguished Professor of Computer Science Alexandru Nicolau.

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UCI-led Project Seeks to Combat Wildfires

A UC Irvine-led team has received $3.6 million over three years for a project that uses science and engineering to help California fight wildfires. The research will integrate physics, chemistry, engineering, computer science and ecology to conduct and disseminate information supporting an increase in the pace and scale of prescribed fires in the region. Computer Science Professors Nalini Venkatasubramanian and Sharad Mehrotra are co-PIs on the grant.

Read the full story here.

ZotBins and Zero Waste Anteaters Support UC Goal for 2020

For almost a decade, the University of California has been pushing for zero waste by 2020, even implementing a #MyLastTrash campaign in 2017. The once far-off deadline is finally upon us, and although none of the 10 UC campuses have conquered the ambitious goal of diverting 90% of waste from local landfills, UCI is leading the pack at 80%. Now, as UCI approaches the finish line, it could get a boost from a group of ZerO Waste Anteaters (ZOWA) and their deployment of ZotBins.

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Harvard Business Review: “The AI Transparency Paradox ” (Sameer Singh research cited)

It is becoming clear that disclosures about AI pose their own risks: Explanations can be hacked, releasing additional information may make AI more vulnerable to attacks, and disclosures can make companies more susceptible to lawsuits or regulatory action.

Call it AI’s “transparency paradox” — while generating more information about AI might create real benefits, it may also create new risks. To navigate this paradox, organizations will need to think carefully about how they’re managing the risks of AI, the information they’re generating about these risks, and how that information is shared and protected.

Read the full story at Harvard Business Review.

ZotBot Competing in the Alexa Prize Socialbot Grand Challenge

“Alexa, let’s chat!” With those three words, Alexa customers will soon be able to converse with one of 10 socialbots selected to participate in the Alexa Prize Socialbot Grand Challenge 3 — a multimillion-dollar competition among colleges to build the best socialbot. While this is the competition’s third year, it is the first time UCI has applied. In June, the UCI team learned it had been selected to participate and would be receiving $250,000 in research funding as well as Alexa-enabled devices, free Amazon Web Services (AWS) to support development efforts, and access to other tools, data and Alexa team support.

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