Prof. Marek Kowalkiewicz – Engineering the Future: How AI is Transforming Our Reality

We are delighted to announce our upcoming seminar, Engineering the Future: How AI is Transforming Our Reality, featuring renowned expert Professor Marek Kowalkiewicz!

Professor Marek Kowalkiewicz is a Professor and Chair in Digital Economy at QUT Business School in Australia. Recognized by Thinkers360 as one of the Top 100 Global Thought Leaders in Artificial Intelligence, he combines years of experience leading global innovation teams with academic excellence.

His international career includes serving as a Research Fellow at Microsoft Research Asia, founding and managing SAP’s machine learning lab in Singapore, and leading global innovation teams in Silicon Valley as Senior Director at SAP.

He is the author of the international bestseller “The Economy of Algorithms: AI and the Rise of the Digital Minions,” which won the 2024 Australian Business Book Award in the Technology category. His expertise in AI and digital transformation is regularly featured in Harvard Business Review and Forbes.

Abstract:

In this lecture, Professor Marek Kowalkiewicz will present a practical perspective on how AI systems and other advanced algorithms are transforming the world of engineering, technology, and our economy. Drawing from his experience in Silicon Valley, Microsoft Research Asia, and leading SAP’s machine learning lab, the professor will demonstrate how theoretical concepts are translated into real-world AI applications.

The lecture will combine an analysis of current technological trends with practical examples of AI use in engineering, business, and everyday life. Special attention will be given to the concept of “digital minions”—AI systems that evolve beyond their initial programming, offering increasingly advanced solutions. The professor will also introduce the fascinating phenomenon of the “butterfly effect,” illustrating how seemingly small AI implementations can lead to fundamental changes in the functioning of entire systems and organizations.

Participants will learn how to distinguish real AI capabilities from marketing promises, explore practical applications of current AI technologies, and understand the future directions in this field. The lecture will conclude with a discussion on the role of engineers and scientists in shaping responsible AI development and creating technologies that enhance human potential rather than replace it.

Details:

Location: Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Building D-20, 8 Janiszewskiego Street
Date: Wednesday, May 14ht, starting at 1:15 PM

For on-site presence, admission is free, but prior registration is required via the Evenea.pl platform. Register here.

The lecture will also be  shown  on our YT channel: AE Wroclaw Hub You Tube

The Interdisciplinary Scientific Seminar  is a series aimed at a wide audience – students, doctoral candidates, researchers, and anyone interested in expanding their knowledge. Wrocław University of Science and Technology regularly hosts experts from various fields who are eager to share the results of their research.

ISN attendees have had the opportunity to listen to, among others, the 2023 Nobel Prize laureate in physics – Prof. Ferenc Krausz, renowned architect and urban planner – Prof. Kees Christiaanse from ETH Zurich, world-famous cognitive science expert Prof. Peter Gärdenfors from Lund University, Prof. Szymon Malinowski – Chair of the Polish Academy of Sciences’ Climate Crisis Committee, as well as Finnish researcher Prof. Tomi Kauppinen from Aalto University, Dr. Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska from the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the creator of the psychological theory of implementation intentions Prof. Peter Gollwitzer from New York University, and Prof. Stephen Evans – Director of Research in Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge.