Dr. Yasar Ayaz

Dr Yasar Ayaz holds a PhD specializing in Robotics & Machine Intelligence from Tohoku University, Japan and is currently the Chairman / Central Project Director of National Center of Artificial Intelligence (NCAI).

Title

AI for everyone

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence is one of the most revolutionizing emerging technologies of the modern era and is widely expected to spearhead the upcoming technological revolution. The most key feature of AI is its potential to be integrated in all sorts of technical, socio-technical as well as social systems ranging from area specific domains such as Robotics, IoT, Industry 4.0, Surveillance, Smart city, Crime prevention, Agriculture and Healthcare to traditionally non-technological domains such as finance and judiciary etc. According to Forbes, AI is forecasted to add $15.7 trillion to global GDP by 2030 with inevitable integration into every aspect of human life, much like the revolution of electricity during the 20th Century. In Pakistan, the AI frontier is led by National Center of Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) with labs in major universities selected by HEC on competitive grounds. This talk will focus on the AI research activities being conducted in Pakistan by NCAI.

Biography

Dr Yasar Ayaz holds a PhD specializing in Robotics & Machine Intelligence from Tohoku University, Japan and is currently the Chairman / Central Project Director of National Center of Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) of Pakistan which is Government of Pakistan’s newest leading technology initiative with funding of more than US $ 10 Million. Dr Yasar is also the Head of Department of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (SMME) of National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Pakistan. He has also been awarded with honorary title of Specially-Appointed Associate Professor by Tohoku University, Japan. He is the Founder and President of IEEE Robotics and Automation Society of Pakistan and Deputy Chairman of the National Technology Foresight Panel on Robotics at the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology (PCST).

Dr Yasar is the author of more than 80 international publications and reviews a number of major journals in the areas of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Bioengineering. His research has been cited by Top Universities of more than 13 countries including South Korea, USA, Japan, France, Germany, Hungary, Canada, China, Iran, Croatia, Singapore etc and he has claimed a number of national and international awards for his research. Very recently Dr Yasar’s Research paper on Understanding Human Emotions from Hand Gestures was recently declared the Overall Best Paper at the International Conference on Human Computer Interaction 2018 in London UK. His work on Robotic Grasping using Soft Fingers has also been accorded Third Best Technical Paper Award at International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots: CLAWAR, Sydney, Australia. In May 2014 Dr Yasar was conferred with President’s Gold Medal by President of Pakistan for being the Overall Best Teacher of NUST which is the highest performance award of NUST that is given on the basis of overall teaching performance. As per Pakistan Book of Records, Dr Yasar also holds 2 national records in Pakistan in the field of engineering for which he has also been awarded PBR Gold Medals by Pakistan Book of Records. His first National Record is of supervising project with maximum number of International Research Papers from an Undergraduate Final Degree Project which is 10 International Research Papers during undergraduate degree. His second National Record is of supervising undergraduate degree project with maximum number of Thomson Reuters Impact Factor Journal Papers which is 3 Thomson Reuters Impact Factor Journal Papers from an Undergraduate Final Degree Project. Dr Yasar has been featured in Who's Who in the World, Berkeley, USA as a leading International Researcher and Academician since 2013 to present. He has also been named among the top 100 Educators of the World by the International Biographical Center of Cambridge, UK. In March 2017 the National Academy of Young Scientists (NAYS) Pakistan has also named Dr Yasar Ayaz as one of the Top 20 Most Eminent Scientists of Pakistan. During the process of selection of leading scientists for National Center of Artificial Intelligence (NCAI), Pakistan, Dr Yasar Ayaz has been selected (on competitive grounds) out of all Pakistani AI scientists to take the top position of Chairman / Central Project Director of the National Center of Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) of Pakistan.