Ciarán Gilligan-Lee, Head of the Causal Inference Research Lab at Spotify and an Honorary Associate Professor at UCL, delves into fascinating intersections of quantum physics and causal AI. He discusses how understanding causality can enhance business outcomes at Spotify while unraveling the complexities of causal inference versus correlation. Ciarán also shares insights from his innovative work combining causal methods with astrophysics, exploring galaxy evolution and environmental factors in star formation, all while reflecting on influential literature that shaped his journey.
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Causal AI in Business
Businesses seek actions that achieve desired effects, which requires a causal understanding.
John Bell's "Speakable and Unspeakable in Quantum Mechanics" is a collection of his papers exploring the foundations of quantum mechanics. It delves into the philosophical implications of quantum theory, particularly Bell's theorem, which challenges the classical understanding of locality and realism. The book examines the concept of hidden variables and the implications of quantum entanglement. It's a seminal work that continues to influence discussions on the interpretation of quantum mechanics and its relationship to causality. Bell's clear and insightful writing makes complex ideas accessible to a wider audience.
Causality
Models, Reasoning, and Inference
Judea Pearl
This book provides a detailed analysis of causality, transforming it from a nebulous concept into a mathematical theory. It applies to various fields such as statistics, artificial intelligence, economics, philosophy, cognitive science, and the health and social sciences. Judea Pearl presents simple mathematical tools for studying causal connections and statistical associations, making it a valuable resource for students and professionals in multiple disciplines. The book has led to a paradigmatic change in how causality is treated in several scientific fields and has been cited in over 5,000 scientific publications.
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?
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).
Causal Bandits Podcast 