Media

Notable and Ongoing

Video Presentations

Notable and Ongoing

Computing Up Podcast, with Dave Ackley, (2017-)

Computing UpConversations about computation writ large, with Michael Littman and Dave Ackley.

"Wired Al" Computer Science Parody Songs, (2006-)

You Can’t Escape Hyperparameters and Latent Variables: Machine Learning as a Software Engineering Enterprise (guest of Charles Isbell)

Neural Information Processing Systems keynote, 12/7/20

We Need to Talk about A.I., dir. Leanne Pooley (2020)

‎We Need to Talk About a.I. on iTunes‎Watch trailers, read customer and critic reviews and buy We Need to Talk About a.I. directed by Leanne Pooley for 7,99 €.

TurboTax ad, with Anna Rubanova, (2015-2016)

Collusion Rings Threaten the Integrity of Computer Science Research, ACM Viewpoint with accompanying animation (June 2021)

Collusion Rings Threaten the Integrity of Computer Science ResearchExperiences discovering attempts to subvert the peer-review process.

Video Presentations

How a Computer Broke a 50-Year Math Record (explanatory video, consultant and interviewee)

Quanta Magazine, 5/22/23

Commencement Address (transcript)

The Wheeler School, 6/10/22

Commencement 2022: Address by Michael L. Littman, PhD - The Wheeler SchoolIt’s a privilege to get to talk to you today. High school graduation… Exciting, right? It’s kind of a big deal. A memorable milestone, up there with getting your driver’s license, buying a house, or getting married for the second time. I remember my high school graduation. It was in 1984, which felt like a […]

Overcoming Our Unhealthy Dependence on Other People's Code

TEDxGeorgiaTech, 4/10/22

Telling, Inspiring, Demonstrating, and Explaining: Getting Machines To Do What We Want

Frontiers of Big Data, AI and Analytics, 10/7/21

Assessing the Robustness of Deep Learning Algorithms

Deep Reinforcement Learning Workshop, 1/28/21

Delegating Our Will: Four Ways We Tell Machines What We Want and How We Can Do Better

BitHacks Speaker Series, 8/1/20

Assessing the Robustness of Deep RL Algorithms

Neural Information Processing Systems Deep Reinforcement Learning Workshop, 12/14/19 (@55:44)

Deep Reinforcement Learning 4In recent years, the use of deep neural networks as function approximators has enabled researchers to extend reinforcement learning techniques to solve increasingly complex control tasks. The emerging

What Are Neural Networks? (consultant)

SciToons, 5/27/19

Interactive Machine Learning: How Machines Learn Best from Humans (guest of Charles Isbell)

Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence keynote, 2/5/18

Can Robots Become Human? (discussion with Tom Doeppner and Rosalind Picard)

Veritas Forum, 11/1/17

A Cooperative Path to Artificial Intelligence

TEDxBoston, 10/16/17

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Be Realistic about AI

TEDxProvidence, 9/30/17

Reinforcement learning: How Machines Learn by Doing

National Academy of Sciences, 5/1/17

After LifeAfter (with Neil deGrasse Tyson, Colin Paris, Mac Rogers)

Panoply, 1/28/17

After LifeAfterAstrophysicist, StarTalk host, and self-proclaimed sci-fi geek Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts a round table talking about the science behind the science-fiction in GE Podcast Theater’s LifeAfter. Joining him are computer scientist and humanity-centered robotics expert, Michael Littman; leading software research expert Colin Parris; and the show’s writer, Mac Rogers. Let the tech geeking begin.

Programming agents via rewards

International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 8/12/15

Basics of Computational Reinforcement Learning

The Multi-disciplinary Conference on Reinforcement Learning and Decision Making, 6/7/2015

Basics of Computational Reinforcement LearningIn machine learning, the problem of reinforcement learning is concerned with using experience gained through interacting with the world and evaluative feedback to improve a system’s ability to make behavioral decisions. This tutorial will introduce the fundamental concepts and vocabulary that underlie this field of study. It will also review recent advances in the theory and practice of reinforcement learning, including developments in fundamental technical areas such as generalization, planning, exploration and empirical methodology.

Model-based Reinforcement Learning Tutorial

Neural Information Processing Systems, 12/7/09

Model-Based Reinforcement LearningIn model-based reinforcement learning, an agent uses its experience to construct a representation of the control dynamics of its environment. It can then predict the outcome of its actions and make decisions that maximize its learning and task performance. This tutorial will survey work in this area with an emphasis on recent results. Topics will include: Efficient learning in the PAC-MDP formalism, Bayesian reinforcement learning, models and linear function approximation, recent advances in planning.

Real Live Robot Learning (best narration winner)

AI Video Competition, 6/1/09

22. Real Live Robot LearningWe created a reinforcement-learning demo -- a simple robot navigation task -- and took it to the public to teach them about AI and robotics. The video shows the system adapting in real time to various modifications to the robot's design and provides a very gentle introduction to the idea of model-based reinforcement learning.

Artificial Intelligence: An Instance of Aibo Ingenuity (best short video winner)

AI Video Competition, 7/23/07

Artificial intelligence: An instance of Aibo ingenuityThis describes research related to using RL for, among other tasks, learning behaviors for an Aibo robot.

In The Press

Value Driven Data Science, 9/21/23 (Genevieve Hayes)

Episode 23: Reinforcement Learning - The Other Type of Machine Learning - Genevieve Hayes ConsultingProf Michael Littman joins Dr Genevieve Hayes to discuss reinforcement learning and his new book, "Code to Joy".

FedScoop, 9/20/23 (Rebecca Heilweil)

Q&A: Director of NSF's AI division discusses the tech's limits and opportunitiesFedScoop recently sat down with Michael Littman, division director for information and intelligent systems at the NSF, to discuss the state of artificial intelligence and NSF’s work on the technology.

Federal News Network, 9/12/23 (Tom Temin)

As AI goes mainstream, NSF programs trying to ‘respond to the moment’ | Federal News NetworkA new program at the National Science Foundation is asking the question, what happens when algorithm graduate from training data to real world data that continues to expand and grow?

New York Times, 7/20/23 (Steve Lohr)

Best Place for A.I. Jobs (New Report Says) Won’t Surprise YouBrookings Institution researchers found that San Francisco and San Jose, Calif., dominate job listings for generative A.I. work, potentially solidifying their control of the tech industry.

This Jungian Life, 8/3/23 (Lisa Marchiano, Joseph Lee, Deborah Stewart)

WPRI Community Focus, 6/30/23 (Kim Kalunian)

MBN Alhurra, 6/19/23 (in Arabic)

Education Week, 6/9/23 (Alyson Klein )

Nature News, 6/7/23 (Matthew Hutson)

DeepMind AI creates algorithms that sort data faster than those built by peopleThe technology developed by DeepMind that plays Go and chess can also help to write code.

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NPR Marketplace, 4/14/23 (Stephanie Hughes)

Should you trust chatbots to give you financial advice?They may sound good. But the advice isn’t always sound.

Politico, 3/2/23 (Ben Schreckinger)

Psst… when AIs talk among themselves

Lifewire, 2/24/23 (Sascha Brodsky)

How the Mistakes Made By LLM Creators Have Led to Problem ChildrenChatbots like ChatGPT have been in the news recently for strange and sometimes aggressive answers to users' questions, but experts say the fault could be in the large language models used to to train them.

News from Brown Daily Herald, 2/23/23 (Juan Siliezar)

Are AI chatbots off the rails or doing just what they were designed to do? Brown expert explainsAs hosts of new AI-powered chatbots and technology become widely available, and questions surface on their limits and power, Brown scholar Michael Littman offers insights into a debate that will only grow louder.

Quanta Magazine, 11/23/22 (Ben Brubaker)

AI Reveals New Possibilities in Matrix Multiplication | Quanta MagazineInspired by the results of a game-playing neural network, mathematicians have been making unexpected advances on an age-old math problem.

The Guardian, 3/29/22 (Laura Spinney)

Artificial intelligence beats eight world champions at bridgeVictory marks milestone for AI as bridge requires more human skills than other strategy games

Harvard Business Review, 12/21/21 (Bhaskar Chakravorti, Ajay Bhalla, Ravi Shankar Chaturvedi, and Christina Filipovic)

50 Global Hubs for Top AI TalentAs AI expands into more and more facets of our lives, there is also more scrutiny on who is developing it. Building ethical AI that works for everyone will require a diverse workforce that brings a broad range of perspectives. To achieve this, however, companies will need to look outside of the usual hubs, such as San Francisco. To aid in that effort, the authors have compiled the top 50 cities for AI talent and analyzed how diverse the population of developers is in each. This can help companies direct their recruiting and hiring as they try to build a broader, more diverse AI workforce.

Brown Daily Herald, 12/6/21 (Claire Liu and Anna Kim)

AI100 report hones in on latest social, ethical issues around artificial intelligence - The Brown Daily HeraldEvery five years, a team of researchers and industry leaders with expertise in varying fields tied to artificial intelligence come together to create a report on the most significant questions and developments around AI as part of the One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence. “Gathering Strength, Gathering Storms” — the latest report and second edition of AI100 — aims to capture a growing sense of responsibility in how to proceed with AI.

GeekWire, 9/16/21 (Alan Boyle)

The latest chapter in a 100-year study says AI’s promises and perils are getting realA new report says the field of artificial intelligence has reached a turning point where attention must be paid to the technology’s applications and abuses.

Fortune, 9/21/21 (Jonathan Vanian)

A.I. avoids a long, cold winterDespite the slower-than-anticipated progress, businesses haven’t given up on A.I.

Talking Machines, 9/9/21 (with Katherine Gorman)

Gods and Robots - Talking Machines - Omny.fmIn this episode of the podcast we shake things up! Neil is on the guest side of the table with his partner Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner to discuss their upcoming project Gods and Robots. Katherine is joined on the host side by friend of the show professor Michael Littman.

AAAS News, 4/12/21 (Elana Kimbrell)

Michael Littman Views AAAS Public Engagement Fellowship as a Lighthouse Illuminating His GoalsMichael Littman, professor of computer science at Brown University, has always enjoyed making videos that bring levity -- and sometimes lyrics -- to serious topics like the application and implications of artificial intelligence (AI). This past year, as a fellow of the AAAS Leshner Leadership Institute for Public Engagement with Science, he has focused on strategically targeting his videos toward specific audiences

What Happens Next, 2/7/21 (Larry Bernstein)

Artificial Intelligence, Caregiving, the Penitentiary, Religion and Capitalism, What Happens Next in 6 MinutesSunday February 7, 2021 Opening Remarks | Download Transcript | Download Episode Artificial Intelligence Panel Michael Littman...

ZDNet, 12/14/20 (Tiernan Ray)

A quick tour of what you missed at the NeurIPS 2020 AI conference | ZDNetThe world’s most closely watched AI conference didn’t have its usual scenic backdrop of Vancouver or Barcelona, but it was a nicely organized six-day virtual affair that delivered on all the usual fascinating talks and presentations.

Lex Fridman Podcast, 12/12/20 (Lex Fridman)

Trusting AI: Unlocking the Black Box, 9/21/20 (Anessa Petteruti)

The ConversAItion, 5/14/20 (Jim Freeze)

Michael Littman: Humanity-Centered Robotics | InteractionsJim speaks with Dr. Michael Littman about how robots can work best with humans and how humans teach robots socially acceptable behavior. Click to listen!

VentureBeat, 2/24/20 (Khari Johnson)

NeurIPS requires AI researchers to account for societal impact and financial conflicts of interestNeurIPS will now require AI researchers to state the impact their work has on society and disclose any financial conflict of interest.

Talking Machines, 4/30/20 (Katherine Gorman and Neil Lawrence)

Humans in the Loop and Outside of the Classroom - Talking Machines - Omny.fmIn episode seven of season six we talk with Michael Littman about his work in reinforcement learning, on scientific communication, and in the classroom.

Synced, 12/12/19

NeurIPS 2019 | The NumbersThe world’s most prestigious machine learning conference wraps up in Vancouver this weekend. Synced takes a look at the numbers associated with NeurIPS 2019.

NPR Marketplace, 11/11/19 (Stephanie Hughes)

Can AI indentify guns fast enought to stop violence? - MarketplaceWhy Texas startup Athena Security is holding a film shoot to help its artificial intelligence recognize weapons.

Talking Machines, 9/12/19 (Katherine Gorman)

A Cooperative Path to Artificial Intelligence - Talking Machines - Omny.fm

TalkRL, 8/23/19 (Robin Ranjit Singh Chauhan)

‎TalkRL: The Reinforcement Learning Podcast: Michael Littman on Apple Podcasts‎Show TalkRL: The Reinforcement Learning Podcast, Ep Michael Littman - Aug 23, 2019

Institute on Science for Global Policy, 8/15/19 (Aubrey Paris, Daniela Baeza, Cleo Warner)

ISGP Podcast: 100th Episode...What is AI? - ISGPPhenomenal job to the team at ISGP’s “The Forum” for releasing their 100th podcast episode! Do you use Siri, Alexa, or Facebook? Have you watched sports or participated in voting for talent shows through your computer, handheld communication device or tablet? If you do, you’ve interacted with artificial intelligence. For their 100th episode, our co-hosts …

Wired, 7/11/19 (Tom Simonite)

This New Poker Bot Can Beat Multiple Pros—at OnceSoftware designed by a Carnegie Mellon professor and Facebook researcher beat five human pros in no-limit Texas Hold’em.

Science, 5/30/19 (Edd Gent)

Artificial intelligence learns teamwork in a deadly game of capture the flagBots’ new strategies for beating Quake could one day help smart machines work with humans

NPR Marketplace, 3/26/19 (Renata Sago)

McDonald's bets on AI to help it sell more burgers - MarketplaceThe fast food chain is acquiring digital startup Dynamic Yield for more than $300 million.

New Scientist, 1/25/19 (Richard Kemeny)

Terrible drivers could teach autonomous cars how to avoid crashesFor autonomous cars to master driving, they might need to learn from terrible drivers as well as competent ones

New York Times, 3/22/18 (Jack Nicas)

At Mars, Jeff Bezos Hosted Roboticists, Astronauts, Other Brainiacs and MeAt the exclusive three-day conference run by Amazon in the California desert, the merely brilliant rub shoulders with the geniuses.

NPR Marketplace, 11/24/17 (Adriene Hill)

The reason not to yell at Siri and Alexa - MarketplaceShould parents treat AI devices politely around their kids?

Fortune, 8/15/17 (Michael Littman)

Elon Musk Is Wrong Again. AI Isn’t More Dangerous Than North Korea.Elon Musk was wrong again when he said artificial intelligence (AI) is more dangerous than North Korea on Twitter.

WPRI, 8/11/17 (Kim Kalunian)

Brown prof skeptical of Elon Musk’s warning about AI and killer robotsElon Musk warns of the dangers of AI, but local experts have other opinions.

GoLocalProv, 7/15/17

GoLocalProv | Live | LIVE: How To Train Your Robot; Littman Talks About the Future of Machine ProgrammingMichael Littman, Ph.D, Co-Director of the Humanity Centered Robotics Initiative (HCRI) at Brown University, says he believes we’ll have “teachable” robots within our lifetime, if not very soon.

The Rhode Show, 4/24/17 (Will Gilber)

It’s a robot block party!Happening here Talk about some weird science it is time for a robot block party! The Rhode Island Robot Block Party is a free event presented by The Rhode Island Students of the Future. The organiz…

Boston Globe, 3/14/17, (Alex Frandsen)

Siri, find me a boyfriend - The Boston GlobeWithin the next few years, artificial intelligence may be playing matchmaker, using data to find people potential mates, not just hookups. And there’s a chance that machines could be better at it than we are.

BBC News , 3/10/17 (Rory Cellan-Jones)

25 years of email attachmentsHow the creation of a new email attachment system in 1992 changed the way we communicate.

New York Times, 4/24/17 (Michael L. Littman)

LettersReaders respond to articles in Science Times with thoughts on peer review, engineering, starlings' songs and more.

Talking Machines, 2/11/16 (Katherine Gorman and Ryan Adams)

Robotics and Machine Learning Music Videos - Talking Machines - Omny.fm

Star Ledger, 3/22/12 (Amy Ellis Nutt)

Rutgers math professor's discovery earns prestigious award, $1M prizeEndre Szemerédi, a 71-year-old Rutgers professor, has won the 2012 Abel Prize, the unofficial Nobel Prize in mathematics

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