Mathematician works to improve artificial intelligence

If you've ever told Siri to call your friend Bob and she answers with, "Calling cops," you've seen the instability of artificial intelligence (AI) in action. Those mistakes are the limitation of the AI technology known as deep learning. They arise from the design of the deep neural network, as well as the network's "training," which applies mathematical optimization methods to massive amounts of data rather than hand-crafting rules to accomplish a specific task. Emory College mathematician Lars Ruthotto has dedicated his research to modeling and solving such 21st century problems with the innovative use of differential equations that date back to the late 1600s. The National Science Foundation has rewarded his efforts with a CAREER Award, its most prestigious honor for junior faculty.