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From Quantum Causal Models to Causal AI at Spotify

Ciarán loved Lego.

Fascinated by the endless possibilities offered by the blocks, he once asked his parents what he could do as an adult to keep building with them.

The answer: engineering.

As he delved deeper into engineering, Ciarán noticed that its rules relied on a deeper structure. This realization inspired him to pursue quantum physics, which eventually brought him face-to-face with fundamental questions about causality.

Today, Ciarán blends his deep understanding of physics and quantum causal models with applied work at Spotify, solving complex problems in innovative ways.

Recently, while collaborating with one of his students, he stumbled upon a new interesting question: could we learn something about the early history of the universe by applying causal inference methods in astrophysics?

Could we? Hear it from Ciarán himself.

Join us for this one-of-a-kind conversation!

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Video version and episode links available on YouTube
Recorded on Nov 6, 2024 in Dublin, Ireland.

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About The Guest
Ciarán Gilligan-Lee is Head of the Causal Inference Research Lab at Spotify and Honorary Associate Professor at University College London. He got interested in causality during his studies in quantum physics. This interest led him to study quantum causal models. He published in Nature Machine Intelligence, Nature Quantum Information, Physical Review Letters, New Journal of Physics and more. In his free time, he writes for New Scientist and helps his students apply causal methods in new fields (e.g., astrophysics).

Connect with Ciarán:
- Ciarán on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ciaran-gilligan-lee/
- Ciarán's web page: https://www.ciarangilliganlee.com/

About The Host
Aleksander (Alex) Molak is an independent machine learning researcher, educator, entre

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