Pint of Science 2025

We're told AI is taking an increasingly important role in decision-making, but what does this really mean? And how should we, the people, respond to this? Understanding how AI is *really* being used for prediction and decision-making is the best tool for interpreting the daily flow of AI news. Three researchers from the Alan Turing Institute will take to the stage to help. We'll hear how AI is being used in the real world and how it relates to the big things in life: health, travel safety and (most important of all) the weather. Plus join in with our annual Big Quiz of AI! 

Learning to adapt: beating prostate cancer at its own game with Nick Harbour 

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 1 in 6 deaths. But AI is revolutionising the way we tackle it. Digital twins – virtual patient models that can accurately simulate tumours – can test a variety of treatments in a computer simulation before they reach the patient. The age of AI-enabled personalised medicine is here, and this talk will equip you with everything you need to know about it.   

AI take the wheel: An introduction to autonomous decision making with Dewi Gould 

AI is increasingly trusted with high-stakes decisions, from healthcare to self-driving cars. But how does it make these choices, and can we rely on it when safety is on the line? In this talk, Dewi will use air traffic control as a test-case to explore the challenges, advancements and future of AI in safety-critical decision making. 

Cloudy with a chance of neural nets: How AI is revolutionising the weather with Nathan Simpson 

Humans have been attempting to predict the weather for millennia, using an astonishing range of techniques, some of them more rational than others. Physics based numerical weather prediction models have been the dominant technology for a century. But AI is already starting to overtake the predictive ability of these classic approaches. In this talk, Nathan explains how weather prediction is changing and how this turns in to real world benefits beyond just knowing whether or not to bring an umbrella.

This is an in-person only event. Doors open at 18:30, talks start at 19:00. The event is taking place upstairs at The Prince Albert pub, in Camden; attendees may arrive at any time before doors open and wait in the main bar.