UL organises AI symposium: Collaboration among member faculties is essential for the successful development of AI
Miha Bejek/UL FRI
Date of publication:
On 15 May, the University of Ljubljana (UL) organised a full-day symposium on artificial intelligence (AI), which was held at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science (UL FRI). The event brought together researchers from various UL member faculties with the aim of presenting current research, exchanging knowledge and encouraging collaboration on future AI-related projects.
The symposium began with welcome addresses by the Rector, Prof. Dr Gregor Majdič, and the Dean of UL FRI, Prof. Dr Mojca Ciglarič. This was followed by keynote contributions from Prof. Dr Danijel Skočaj, Head of the Visual Cognitive Systems Laboratory, who presented the general features of AI, and Prof. Dr Marko Robnik Šikonja, a researcher in the fields of AI, machine learning, data mining, natural language processing and network analysis, who highlighted current research trends in large language models (LLMs).
The morning session featured brief presentations of research projects and laboratories from various UL faculties, including the School of Economics and Business, Faculty of Computer and Information Science, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Theology, Faculty of Law and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. A total of 18 research groups presented their work in developing and applying AI, including in the fields of social sciences and humanities.
In the second part of the event, the participants discussed the use of AI in education, research challenges and opportunities for collaboration. The concluding part of the symposium was dedicated to thematic workshops, where researchers connected over the development of new methodological approaches, AI didactics, ethical and legal issues, and the use of AI in professional work.
Vice-Rector Prof. Dr Maja Klun emphasised the importance of such events: “We explored numerous benefits and challenges of using AI, trends in its development and concrete examples of its application in education. The main aim of the event was to connect researchers from different fields to jointly develop new projects and build on existing ones with interdisciplinary knowledge.”
The symposium demonstrated that the University of Ljubljana has strong potential for developing AI in various scientific and professional contexts, and that cooperation among faculties is crucial for the successful development of this rapidly evolving field.