Magnets, Lasers and AI: Tech that Shapes Tomorrow

Electric vehicle motors rely on powerful magnets made from rare earth metals like neodymium. These materials are hard to mine and harmful to the environment, so recycling them is key. But there’s a catch—these magnets are coated in tough plastics to protect them, which makes recycling tricky. This talk explores how we can tackle these coatings to recover valuable materials and make greener tech truly sustainable.

The title of the talk is in reference to a 1963 article in "The Iron Age", a journal dedicated to metalworking. It is one of the first mentions of the tool which has since spread to a variety of industries and facets of life. We encounter lasers every day, but where are they all hiding? Let’s dive into their development and history over the years as well as the state-of-the-art of the state-of-the-art.

In this talk, I survey the rapidly evolving landscape of Generative AI technologies, from chatbots to voice clones to agents. I cover 1) key terminology and concepts of Generative AI and the basic theory behind how these technologies work; 2) the state of the art of Generative AI technologies across different media and applications; and 3) some of the serious challenges and ethical issues around Generative AI. I conclude with some thoughts on the future of AI in education and society at large.