Our June Get Together, held on the 25th, was marked by a fascinating talk from Paulo Tabuada, who is in Portugal for a mini-sabbatical with ISR-Lisboa. The event took place at noon in the EA3 auditorium, drawing an enthusiastic crowd of researchers and students eager to hear from the UCLA-based professor.
The title of Paulo’s talk set the tone: “Ask not what AI can do for control; ask what control can do for AI.” And that’s exactly what he explored, flipping the narrative and diving into how control theory can meaningfully contribute to today’s AI landscape.
In his talk, Paulo made it clear: AI is everywhere, from large language models to self-driving cars. But while AI is making headlines, the role of control systems in shaping and understanding AI is often overlooked. Using a series of compelling examples, he argued that techniques from control can help us not only model neural network behaviour,through equations but also uncover deeper insights into AI’s capabilities, limitations, and impact on society.
After the talk, participants who had registered were treated to a relaxed lunch in the ISR meeting room, where the conversation continued over food.
For those unfamiliar with Paulo Tabuada, he was born in Lisbon just after the Carnation Revolution and began his academic journey at Instituto Superior Técnico. He earned his Bachelor degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1998, followed by a PhD at ISR-Lisboa in 2002. Since then, he’s built an impressive international career, currently serving as the Vijay K. Dhir Professor of Engineering at UCLA. His work in control and cyber-physical systems has earned him prestigious honours from IEEE, IFAC, and beyond.
It was a pleasure to welcome Paulo back to Técnico, and we’re grateful he shared his time and thought-provoking ideas with us.
