Irritation took me somewhere entirely new

“I only developed an interest in science later in life. When I was young, I wanted to be an astronaut, but in high school I found biology and mathematics fascinating. I considered becoming either a doctor or an engineer. I eventually chose to train as an electronics engineer and to work with signal processing, which involves the digital handling of audio, images, video, and other measurable signals. I learned to program, built circuits, and worked with data streams.”

“During my PhD, I was introduced to AI, specifically deep learning, workwise. It was very different from what I had previously done: with signal processing, you program the machine with rules about the problem being solved, whereas with AI you learn the rules from data.”

“As part of an exchange stay, I was in Amsterdam and carried out a project under the supervision of Professor Max Welling, a highly respected authority in the field. We had originally agreed to work on signal processing , which he is also a pioneer in, but he suggested we try deep learning methods instead. We had a heated discussion in his office, because I was sceptical about its usefulness for the problem I was trying to solve.”

“He persuaded me to give it a try and to solve the problem both ways, which actually resulted in two publications. I was initially annoyed about the new direction, but I gave in and thought, ‘well, I am here to learn’  and ‘he is one of the best in the field’.”

“That irritation took me somewhere entirely new. I was surprised by how much data-driven AI methods could change the rules of the game. We were able to make progress in a completely new way. It is truly fascinating what we can achieve with AI. I have been working with AI models ever since.”

“Currently, I am working on a project focused on making AI  more sustainable. In 2019, I was reading a book which in the passing mentioned how much energy streaming requires. It made me wonder how much energy AI  must consume. All data processing requires energy, and modern AI requires a great deal of data. I realised the scale of its carbon footprint and associated environmental impacts. It is important that it becomes more climate friendly.”

“In my research, I want to work on something that makes a difference not only for myself, but for others as well. And not just environmentally, but also socially: how can we best use technology for the benefit of all people and the planet? That matters a great deal to me.”