David Abel
Senior Research Scientist at DeepMind on the Agency team and an Honorary Fellow at the University of Edinburgh. His research blends computer science and philosophy, exploring reinforcement learning and the nature of agency.
Best podcasts with David Abel
Ranked by the Snipd community
Sep 8, 2025 • 60min
David Abel on the Science of Agency @ RLDM 2025
David Abel, a Senior Research Scientist at DeepMind specializing in agency, dives into the fascinating intersection of reinforcement learning and philosophy. He discusses how clear definitions can drive advancements in the field and the relationship between plasticity and empowerment in intelligent agents. The conversation also covers the significance of mutual and directed information in communication theory and challenges traditional views on continual reinforcement learning, advocating for a more dynamic understanding of agency in AI.
Sep 19, 2024 • 5min
RLC 2024 - Posters and Hallways 4
David Abel from DeepMind dives into the 'Three Dogmas of Reinforcement Learning,' offering fresh insights on foundational principles. Kevin Wang from Brown discusses innovative variable depth search methods for Monte Carlo Tree Search, enhancing efficiency. Ashwin Kumar from Washington University addresses fairness in resource allocation, highlighting ethical implications. Finally, Prabhat Nagarajan from UAlberta delves into Value overestimation, revealing its impact on decision-making in RL. This dynamic conversation touches on pivotal advancements and challenges in the field.
