Ask A Scientist: AI - Teaching Computers to Think and Solve Puzzles with Rober Boshra

Being smart, creative, and able to solve puzzles are some of the unique things your brain can do. While computers can't do all of these, there is an entire field of computer science called artificial intelligence (AI) & machine learning that tries to teach computers cool skills. Using AI today we can have computers learn how to translate between languages, make smarter video game opponents, recognize faces in pictures, understand and respond to questions (like Siri & Alexa!), drive cars, and act as little brains in robots of all shapes. Do you have questions about how a computer can learn these skills? About our speaker: Rober Boshra graduated from McMaster last year with his PhD in Biomedical Engineering. Now he studies how people understand and think by looking at very small electrical signals produced by the brain. You can look at these signals by using a machine called EEG. Rober uses machine learning to teach computers how to guide him in discovering more about the brain and to help him look at and understand all these electrical signals from the brain. Lately, Rober has also been studying how the brain is affected after concussion both in young kids and older retired football players. Before his PhD Rober completed a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia and then a Master's in Neuroscience at McMaster.