Causal Bandits Podcast

Dima Goldenberg from Booking.com discusses building causal recommender systems, radical experimentation culture, and the importance of operations research classes. Topics include human psychology insights, optimizing promotions, dealing with noise in data, and childhood game lessons in work strategies.

Send us a textWas Deep Learning Revolution Bad For Causal Inference?Did deep learning revolution slowed down the progress in causal research?Can causality help in finding drug repurposing candidates?What are the main challenges in using causal inference at scale?Ehud Karavani, the author of the CausalLib Python library and Researcher at IBM Research shares his experiences and thoughts on these challenging questions.Ehud believes in the power of good code, but for him code is not only about software development.He sees coding as an inseparable part of modern-day research.A powerful conversation for anyone interested in applied causal modeling.In this episode we discuss:Can causality help in finding drug repurposing candidates?Challenges in data processing for causal inference at scaleMotivation behind Python causal inference library CausalLibWorking at IBM Research Ready to dive in? About The GuestEhud Karavani, MSc is Research Staff Member at IBM Research in the Causal Machine Learning for Healthcare & Life Sciences Group. He focuses on high-throughput causal inference for finding new indications for existing drugs using electronic health records and insurance claims data. He's the original author of Causallib - one of the first Python libraries specialized in causal inference.Connect with Ehud:Ehud on Twitter/XEhud on LinkedInEhud's web page About The HostAleksander (Alex) Molak is an independent machine learning researcher, educator, entrepreneur and a best-selling author in the area of causality. ConnEveryday AI: Your daily guide to grown with Generative AICan't keep up with AI? We've got you. Everyday AI helps you keep up and get ahead.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showCausal Bandits PodcastCausal AI || Causal Machine Learning || Causal Inference & DiscoveryWeb: https://causalbanditspodcast.comConnect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandermolak/Join Causal Python Weekly: https://causalpython.io The Causal Book: https://amzn.to/3QhsRz4

Send us a text Causal AI: The Melting Pot. Can Physics, Math & Biology Help Us?What is the relationship between physics and causal models?What can science of non-human animal behavior teach causal AI researchers?Bernhard Schölkopf's rich background and experience allow him to combine perspectives from computation, physics, mathematics, biology, theory of evolution, psychology and ethology to build a deep understanding of underlying principles that govern complex systems and intelligent behavior.His pioneering work in causal machine learning has revolutionized the field, providing new insights that enhance our ability to understand causal relationships and mechanisms in both natural and artificial systems.In the episode we discuss:Does evolution favor causal inference over correlation-based learning?Can differential equations help us generalize structural causal models?What new book is Bernhard working on?Can ethology inspire causal AI researchers?Ready to dive in?About The GuestBernhard Schölkopf, PhD is a Director at Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems. He's one of the cofounders of European Lab for Learning & Intelligent Systems (ELLIS) and a recepient of the ACM Allen Newell Award, BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award, and more. His contributions to modern machine learning are hard to overestimate. He's a an affiliated professor at ETH Zürich, honorary professor at the University of Tübingen and the Technical University Berlin. His pioneering work on causal inference and causal machine learning inspired thousands of researchers and practitioners worldwide. Connect with Bernhard:Bernhard on Twitter/XBernhard on Everyday AI: Your daily guide to grown with Generative AICan't keep up with AI? We've got you. Everyday AI helps you keep up and get ahead.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showCausal Bandits PodcastCausal AI || Causal Machine Learning || Causal Inference & DiscoveryWeb: https://causalbanditspodcast.comConnect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandermolak/Join Causal Python Weekly: https://causalpython.io The Causal Book: https://amzn.to/3QhsRz4

Emre Kıcıman, a core developer of DoWhy, delves into open source causal AI with Microsoft and Amazon collaboration. They discuss the core of science in causal AI, the intersection of language models and world models, the usefulness of modeling physics, and the future of generative AI. The conversation explores challenges in causality, the importance of causal inference in decision-making, and the evolution of libraries promoting causal analysis.

Send us a textRecorded on Jan 17, 2024 in London, UK. Video version available hereWhat makes so many predictions about the future of AI wrong?And what's possible with the current paradigm?From medical imaging to song recommendations, the association-based paradigm of learning can be helpful, but is not sufficient to answer our most interesting questions.Meet Athanasios (Thanos) Vlontzos who looks for inspirations everywhere around him to build causal machine learning and causal inference systems at Spotify's Advanced Causal Inference Lab.In the episode we discuss:- Why is causal discovery a better riddle than causal inference?- Will radiologists be replaced by AI in 2024 or 2025?- What are causal AI skeptics missing?- Can causality emerge in Euclidean latent space? Ready to dive in? About The GuestAthanasios (Thanos) Vlontzos, PhD is a Research Scientist at Advanced Causal Inference Lab at Spotify. Previousl;y, he worked at Apple, at SETI Institute with NASA stakeholders and published in some of the best scientific journals, including Nature Machine Learning. He's specialized in causal modeling, causal inferernce, causal discovery and medical imaging. Connect with Athanasios:- Athanasios on Twitter/X- Athanasios on LinkedIn- Athanasios's web pageAbout The HostAleksander (Alex) Molak is an independent machine learning researcher, educator, entrepreneur and a best-selling author in the area of causality. Connect with Alex:- Alex on the InternetEveryday AI: Your daily guide to grown with Generative AICan't keep up with AI? We've got you. Everyday AI helps you keep up and get ahead.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showCausal Bandits PodcastCausal AI || Causal Machine Learning || Causal Inference & DiscoveryWeb: https://causalbanditspodcast.comConnect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandermolak/Join Causal Python Weekly: https://causalpython.io The Causal Book: https://amzn.to/3QhsRz4

Send us a textVideo version available here Are markets efficient, and if not, can causal models help us leverage the inefficiencies?Do we really need to understand what we're modeling?What's the role of symmetry in modeling financial markets?What are the main challenges in applying causal models in finance?Ready to dive in? About The GuestAlexander Denev is the CEO of Turnleaf Analytics. He's an author of multiple books on financial modeling and a former Head of AI (Financial Services) at Deloitte. He lectures at the University of Oxford and has worked for organizations like IHS Markit, The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), and the European Investment Bank. He has over 20 years of experience in finance, data science, and modeling. His first book about causal models was published well ahead of its time.Connect with Alexander:- Alexander on LinkedIn- Alexander's web pageAbout The HostAleksander (Alex) Molak is an independent machine learning researcher, educator, entrepreneur and a best-selling author in the area of causality.Connect with Alex:- Alex on the InternetFull list of links can be found here.#machinelearning #causalai #causalinference #causality #finance #CauslBanditsPodcastEveryday AI: Your daily guide to grown with Generative AICan't keep up with AI? We've got you. Everyday AI helps you keep up and get ahead.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showCausal Bandits PodcastCausal AI || Causal Machine Learning || Causal Inference & DiscoveryWeb: https://causalbanditspodcast.comConnect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandermolak/Join Causal Python Weekly: https://causalpython.io The Causal Book: https://amzn.to/3QhsRz4

Send us a textLove Causal Bandits Podcast?Help us bring more quality content: Support the showVideo version of this episode is available hereCausal Inference with LLMs and Reinforcement Learning Agents?Do LLMs have a world model?Can they reason causally?What's the connection between LLMs, reinforcement learning, and causality?Andrew Lampinen, PhD (Google DeepMind) shares the insights from his research on LLMs, reinforcement learning, causal inference and generalizable agents.We also discuss the nature of intelligence, rationality and how they play with evolutionary fitness.Join us in the journey! Recorded on Dec 1, 2023 in London, UK. About The GuestAndrew Lampinen, PhD is a Senior Research Scientist at Google DeepMind. He holds a PhD in PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Stanford University. He's interested in cognitive flexibility and generalization, and how these abilities are enabled by factors like language, memory, and embodiment. Connect with Andrew:- Andrew on Twitter/X - Andrew's web page About The HostAleksander (Alex) Molak is an independent machine learning researcher, educator, entrepreneur and a best-selling author in the area of causality (https://amzn.to/3QhsRz4). Connect with Alex:- Alex on the InternetLinksPapers- Lampinen et al. (2023) - "Passive learning of active causal strategies in agents and language models" (https://arxiv.org/pdf/2305.16183.pdf)- Dasgupta, Lampinen, et al. (2022) Language models show human-like content effects Everyday AI: Your daily guide to grown with Generative AICan't keep up with AI? We've got you. Everyday AI helps you keep up and get ahead.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showCausal Bandits PodcastCausal AI || Causal Machine Learning || Causal Inference & DiscoveryWeb: https://causalbanditspodcast.comConnect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandermolak/Join Causal Python Weekly: https://causalpython.io The Causal Book: https://amzn.to/3QhsRz4

Guest Stephen Senn, an expert in causal inference and clinical trials, delves into the myths of randomization and the limitations of randomized trials in answering causal questions. He discusses the importance of understanding mechanisms of change, considering covariates, and the ethical challenges in clinical trials. Senn also explores innovative trial designs in asthma and chronic diseases, the impact of covariates in statistical analyses, and critiques the Bayesian method while engaging in philosophical discussions on determinism and free will.

Robert Ness discusses the broad perspective on causal inference encompassing graphical models, Bayesian inference, reinforcement learning, generative AI, and cognitive science. The conversation explores the challenges and importance of causal inference in AI models for understanding complex scenarios and human decision-making processes, with a focus on bridging computational models with human reasoning for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Delve into the integration of causality in identifying latent representations in generative AI for image manipulation, emphasizing the importance of understanding causal relationships in creating realistic images.

Send us a textSupport the showVideo version available on YouTubeRecorded on Sep 27, 2023 in München, GermanyFrom supply chain to large language models and backIshansh realized the potential of data when he was just 10 years old, during his time as a junior cricket player. His journey led him to ask questions about the mechanisms behind the observed events. Can large language models (LLMs) help in building an industrial causal graph? What inspires stakeholders to share their knowledge and which causal discovery algorithms have been most effective for Ishansh's supply chain use case? Hear the insights from one of the BMW Group's fastest-rising young data science talents. Ready? About The GuestIshansh Gupta is a Lead Data Scientist at BMW Group. Previously, he worked for several companies, including a legendary German sports club SV Werder Bremen. He studied Computer Science, and co-founded an educational startup during his study years. He has supervised or supported students in various universities, including the Munich-based TUM and MIT. Connect with Ishansh: - Ishansh on Twitter/X - Ishansh on LinkedInAbout The HostAleksander (Alex) Molak is an independent machine learning researcher, educator, entrepreneur and a best-selling author in the area of causalityConnect with Alex: - Alex on the InternetLinksPapers Full list of papers hereBooks- Molak (2023) - Everyday AI: Your daily guide to grown with Generative AICan't keep up with AI? We've got you. Everyday AI helps you keep up and get ahead.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showCausal Bandits PodcastCausal AI || Causal Machine Learning || Causal Inference & DiscoveryWeb: https://causalbanditspodcast.comConnect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandermolak/Join Causal Python Weekly: https://causalpython.io The Causal Book: https://amzn.to/3QhsRz4