Language: The lecture will be in English.

Speaker: Dr. Mauritz Kelchtermans

Mauritz Kelchtermans has a PhD in Chemistry and has been leading the Advanced Characterization group of ExxonMobil Chemical Europe. After his retirement, he went back to university to study philosophy. His master thesis dealt with the different scenarios for the end of times. With AI one of those, he got interested in that field and is currently pursuing a PhD on the impact of AI. Obviously with generative AI, we have not yet seen the end of that!

Abstract:

Now that Google DeepMind has been recognized with the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of Alphafold, the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in chemistry has never been more apparent. This lecture will explore recent advancements in AI, structured in three parts.
In the first part, a general overview of developments in AI will be given, since its inception in 1956, highlighting key developments that have shaped the field.
In the second part, attention will be focused on what generative AI means for the developments in chemistry. Examples of computational modeling, molecular design, drug discovery and materials design will be highlighted .
In the third part, attention will be paid to the potential negative consequences of those “advancements”. Currently it has become relatively easy, when applying the “right” techniques to probe the large language/multimodal/reasoning systems, to generate new chemical/biochemical weapons, that could lead to catastrophic consequences if they fall in the wrong hands.

Practical

Location: Universiteit Antwerpen, Campus Groenenborger.

Members of KVCV are admitted for free, K.D.A. members pay €3 and others pay €5.

Pay on-site, cash or preferentially by card (Maestro/Visa/Mastercard, also contactless).

After the lecture, you are invited to a reception.

Registration is mandatory. Register here.