Events

The surprising success of generative AI models in applications such as natural language processing and image synthesis has sparked considerable interest among researchers, particularly in process systems engineering (PSE). However, there is an essential difference between such applications and PSE. PSE is governed by fundamental laws of physics and chemistry (and biology), constitutive relations, and highly technical knowledge about materials, processes, and systems. While purely data-driven machine learning has its immediate uses, I believe the long-term success of AI in scientific and engineering domains would depend on effectively leveraging first principles and technical knowledge. ChatGPT’s “hallucinations” may be amusing in certain applications, but they are potentially dangerous in highly technical domains, such as PSE. In this talk, I will discuss the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Professor Venkat Venkatasubramanian is the Samuel Ruben-Peter G. Viele Professor of Engineering in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Professor of Computer Science (Affiliate), and Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (Affiliate) at Columbia University. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University, his M.S. in Physics from Vanderbilt University, and his B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Madras, India. He taught at Purdue University for 23 years before returning to Columbia in 2011.

Venkat is a complex-dynamical-systems theorist interested in developing mathematical models of their structure, function, and behavior from fundamental conceptual principles. He considers himself an artist in science whose natural tendency is to conduct curiosity-driven research in an impressionistic style, emphasizing conceptual issues over mere techniques. Venkat's research interests are diverse, spanning AI, systems engineering, theoretical physics, and economics, with a general focus on understanding complexity and emergent behavior across various domains.

Venkat is an elected member of the U. S. National Academy of Engineering. In 2024, he was awarded AIChE’s William H. Walker Award, “for his pioneering contributions in developing hybrid artificial intelligence modeling frameworks.” He was awarded Doctor Honoris Causa by the Széchenyi István University, Hungary, in 2024. In 2009, AIChE honored Venkat with the Computing in Chemical Engineering Award for his innovative contributions. He was recognized as a Fellow of AIChE in 2011. Venkat received the Norris Shreve Award for Outstanding Teaching in Chemical Engineering three times at Purdue University, as well as the Research Excellence Award. From 2009 to 2019, he served as Editor in Computers and Chemical Engineering. Three of his papers are among the ten most-cited papers in the 46-year history of Computers & Chemical Engineering. His 2019 paper on AI in chemical engineering is the most-cited paper in the AIChE Journal in the last 20 years. His first book, How Much Inequality is Fair?, was published in 2017. His second book, Emergence as Harmony: Mathematical Principles of Self-organization, Collective Behavior, and Complexity, is scheduled to be published in 2026 by Columbia University Press. Venkat's other interests include comparative theology, classical music, and cricket.