A Colloquium on the Interface between Linguistics and Computer Science.
17 October 2019, 17:00-19:30, ZHAW, Gebäude SM, Mäander C, Theaterstrasse 15c, Winterthur.
Organizers and co-sponsors: Professors Aleksandra Gnach (ZHAW), Marcel Burger (University of Lausanne) and Crispin Thurlow (University of Bern).
Hosted by the IAM MediaLab in co-operation with the VALS-ASLA Research Network on Communication and Digitization, the colloquium brings together two scholars working at the interface of language and machines.
Invited speakers:
Rodney Jones, Professor of Sociolinguistics, University of Reading, UK
Regarded internationally for his research on language and digital media, Professor Jones is particularly interested in how digital media affect the way people conduct social interactions and manage social identities. In his latest work, he has been developing a critical, sociolinguistic approach to the study of contemporary surveillance cultures. This work centers on the notion of an 'algorithmic pragmatics' for addressing how information flows and inferential processes in social interactions are affected when they are mediated through digital technologies.
Thilo Stadelmann, Professor of Computer Science, ZHAW, Switzerland
Professor Stadelmann's research interest lies in understanding how computers can perform tasks that previously only humans could do, specifically with respect to making sense of high-dimensional sensory input such as audio or images. His current research focuses on deep learning methods applied to diverse pattern recognition use cases such as voice recognition, musical object detection or document analysis. Findings translate back to the method itself, and to the applicability, opportunities and risks of AI in business and in society at large.
The colloquium will open with presentations by the invited speakers who will outline their current research agendas. This will be followed by a dialogue and open discussion about current and potential interfaces between linguistics and computer science.