Samvaad-ACM Distinguished Lecture Series

 Nov 27, 2025

 11:30 AM

 IIIT-Bangalore

Samvaad-ACM Distinguished Lecture Series

Speaker: Prof.  Ricardo Baeza-Yates, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Title: The Limitations of Data, Machine Learning & Us
Date: November 27, 2025
Venue: Amanthran, IIIT-Bangalore

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Abstract: Machine learning (ML), particularly deep learning, is being used everywhere. However, not always is used well, ethically and scientifically. In this talk we first do a deep dive in the limitations of supervised ML and data, its key component. We cover small data, datification, bias, predictive optimization issues, evaluating success instead of harm, and pseudoscience, among other problems.  The second part is about our own limitations using ML, including different types of human incompetence: cognitive biases, unethical applications, no administrative competence, misinformation, and the impact on mental health. In the final part we discuss regulation on the use of AI and responsible AI principles, that can mitigate the problems outlined above.

Short bio: Ricardo Baeza-Yates is a part-time WASP Professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, as well as part-time professor at the departments of Engineering of Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona and Computing Science of University of Chile in Santiago. Before, he has been Director of Research at the Institute for Experiential AI of Northeastern University in its Silicon Valley campus (2021-25) and  VP of Research at Yahoo Labs, based first in Barcelona, Spain, and later in Sunnyvale, California (2006-16). He is co-author of the best-seller Modern Information Retrieval textbook published by Addison-Wesley in 1999 and 2011 (2nd ed), that won the ASIST 2012 Book of the Year award. In 2009 he was named ACM Fellow and in 2011 IEEE Fellow. He has won national scientific awards in Chile (2024) and Spain (2018), among other accolades and distinctions. He obtained a Ph.D. in CS from the University of Waterloo, Canada, and his areas of expertise are responsible AI, web search and data mining plus data science and algorithms in general.

About ACM: ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery (www.acm.org), is the  premier global community of computing professionals and students with nearly 100,000 members in more than 170 countries interacting with more than 2 million computing professionals worldwide.

MISSION:  We help computing professionals to be their best and most creative. We connect them to their peers, to what the latest developments, and inspire them to advance the profession and make a positive impact on society. 

VISION:  We see a world where computing helps solve tomorrow’s problems – where we use our knowledge and skills to advance the computing profession and make a positive social impact throughout the world.