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P&A Colloquium

Date:
Location:
CP 155
Speaker(s) / Presenter(s):
Prof. Matthew Schwartz (Harvard University)

``10,000 Einsteins: AI and the future of theoretical physics''

Machine learning has evolved from a specialized field to a foundational tool in various disciplines, including particle physics. Over the past decade, it has transformed collider physics and is beginning to influence more formal sectors of high-energy theory. An introduction to the use of machine learning in particle physics will be presented, highlighting some recent advances that the speaker has been involved in. Going forward, machine learning will play an increasingly important role in science and education, particularly with the advent of large language models. We are in the early stages of period of rapid change that has been compared to the industrial revolution, the dawn of the internet, or even the inception of writing. Some justification will be given for these bold analogies alongside speculative insights and an optimistic outlook into how machine learning might be essential for continued progress on unraveling the fundamental laws of nature.