TALOS is excited to announce an upcoming presentation that explores how artificial intelligence can address real-world social challenges through applied research.

Presentation Title: When AI Meets Society: Practical Applications for Real-World Problems
Date and Time: Friday, 23 May 2025, 10:00–11:30 AM (Greek time)
Location: TALOS Conference Room, Building Γ, Gallos Campus, University of Crete. Also available online via Zoom: https://uoc-gr.zoom.us/j/83239036883 (the talk will be recorded).

Abstract:
In this talk, we will present the research we carry out at the University of Oviedo, focused on applying artificial intelligence algorithms to address real-world social challenges. We will share examples from ongoing and past projects in which we have participated related to: the PISA for schools program, the optimization of public transportation systems, the design of healthier and more sustainable school menus, the detection of anomalies in cotton plantations to support agricultural efficiency, and the development of personalized restaurant recommendation systems among others. Through these case studies, we aim to illustrate the potential of AI as a tool for creating practical and socially impactful solutions.

Speakers’ Bios:

Noelia Rico holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science (2022). Her research in artificial intelligence focuses on information aggregation and the application of learning models in social contexts, having authored 11 articles in JCR-indexed journals and contributed 16 conference papers. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Oviedo, and leads CEISIA, a research center within the University of Oviedo dedicated to the study of the social impact of artificial intelligence. She is currently part of the research team in two Spanish and one European project, all focused on artificial intelligence and its applications. She has carried out research stays at the University of Naples Parthenope and the University of Toulouse 1 Capitole, both before and after completing her PhD. She regularly collaborates with companies through applied research contracts and is also the principal researcher of a data mining project on school menus in collaboration with the Department of Public Health of the Government of the Principality of Asturias.

Pablo Pérez-Núñez is an Assistant Professor at the University of Oviedo, where he also completed his Ph.D. in Computer Science (Cum Laude with International Honors, 2022) and his Bachelor’s degree (2016). His research centers on recommender systems, especially those integrating multimodal information and deep learning. He has completed research stays at leading institutions, including the University of Galway (Ireland), the University of Porto (Portugal), and the University of A Coruña (Spain), where he collaborated with prominent natural language processing groups. His scientific output includes six journal papers and eleven conference contributions. He has participated in two competitive research projects funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and has been awarded multiple fellowships and honors, including the prestigious Severo Ochoa Fellowship and the Tim Berners-Lee Award for his undergraduate thesis.

We look forward to welcoming you to this engaging and timely presentation, either onsite or online.