Royal Institution CHRISTMAS LECTURES 2023 Livestreams

Filming of the 2023 CHRISTMAS LECTURES will be livestreamed from the Royal Institution’s iconic theatre on 12, 14 and 16 December
Mike Wooldridge, Professor of Artificial Intelligence, University of Oxford

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  • University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA

  • University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA

  • University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA

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The University of Plymouth is one of the livestream venues for this year’s CHRISTMAS LECTURES from the Royal Institution of Great Britain. 
Running for almost 200 years, the CHRISTMAS LECTURES were started by Michael Faraday in 1825 to inspire and engage young people with science, and this year Mike Wooldridge, Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Oxford, will be exploring the truth behind Artificial Intelligence (AI), the most rapidly evolving field of science. 
These events are perfect for children (aged 11–17) and their families who can come and watch the magic of the Lectures unfold in real time as they are filmed in front of an audience in the RI’s theatre in London. It is these live events which are then edited to form the television programmes broadcast on BBC4 between Christmas and New Year. Participants at the livestreaming will have the chance to get involved with hands-on activities, and be the first to learn the truth about AI.

How to apply for places at the livestreaming events at the University of Plymouth

The filming of the CHRISTMAS LECTURES is spread over three evenings: 12th, 14th and 16th December. 
You can apply for places at one of the events. There is no charge for the event.
  • Timing: The event will start at 17:30 and the finish will be between 19:30 and 20:00 (it depends on how long any breaks in filming will be).
  • Location: University of Plymouth main campus (PL4 8AA) – the exact location will be given nearer the time.
The event is suitable for children aged 11–17 and all children need to be accompanied by an adult. 
All adults need to be accompanied by children aged 11–17.
To enable as many young people to attend as possible, only one adult per family group please.
To apply for places please complete the application form at https://forms.office.com/e/cFRNJM7EzB
Please email Dr Jenny Sharp (jenny.sharp@plymouth.ac.uk) if you have any questions.
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Royal Institution CHRISTMAS LECTURES 2023

The Lectures

Lecture 1 (filmed Tuesday 12 December)
In this Lecture, Mike will demonstrate the contrast between how a machine learns and how a human learns, and explain how neural networks accelerated the growth of AI. But could machines ever match human intelligence?
Lecture 2 (filmed Thursday 14 December)
In the second Lecture, Mike will reveal the huge role AI already plays in our daily lives – without us even realising. He will demonstrate how the computer games that we play in our spare time have become a training ground for AI. He will also reveal the huge impact AI has had in fields ranging from football to, controversially, our creative lives – in art, photography and music.
Lecture 3 (filmed Saturday 16 December)
In the final Lecture, Mike will explore how AI should be treated as it gets more intelligent. He will explore where the technology is going – will we have machines that have the same status as us as intelligent/sentient entities?
 

Event photography and video

Please be aware that some of the University of Plymouth's public events (both online and offline) may be attended by University staff, photographers and videographers, for capturing content to be used in University online and offline marketing and promotional materials, for example webpages, brochures or leaflets. If you, or a member of your group, do not wish to be photographed or recorded, please let a member of staff know.