ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE WILD
Namib AI Winter School.
at Otjisazu Guest Farm | July 24-27 2024
Find inspiration in nature. Join us at the Namib AI Winter School. The event will give participants a chance to learn, and generate ideas in the quiet natural beauty of Namibia. The content will focus on the technical advances, as well applications of Language Models (LMs) – an increasingly powerful form of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Who should attend, and what to expect
Expected participants include university students, lecturers, and industry professionals. However, there are no specific academic degree requirements for attendance.
The event is inclusive and open to people from different fields at various stages of their careers.
Certificate: Participants will receive a certificate upon successful participation in the event, detailing the topics and number of hours
Instructors
Noah Smith – Amazon Professor of Machine Learning, University of Washington, Seattle
Noah Smith is Amazon Professor of Machine Learning in the Paul G. Allen Scool of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington
Ndapa Nakashole – Associate Professor of Computer Science, University of California, San Diego
Ndapa Nakashole is an Associate Professor of Computer Science in the Jacobs School of Engineering at the University of California, San Diego.
Raphael Flauger – Associate Professor of Physics, University of California, San Diego
Raphael Flauger is an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of California, San Diego
Schedule
Day 0: July 24 – Arrival & Dinner
| Day 1: July 25 | Day 2: July 26 | Day 3: 27 |
|---|---|---|
| Morning: 07:00 – 09:00: Breakfast 9:00 – 9:30 Welcome Address: Ndapa Nakashole 9:30 – 11:00: Lecture 1A: Noah Smith (foundations of LLMs) 11:00 – 11:30: Coffee Break | Morning: 07:00 – 09:00: Breakfast 9:00 – 10:30: Lecture 2A: Noah Smith (foundations of LLMs) 10:30 – 11:00: Coffee Break | Morning: 07:00 – 09:00: Breakfast 09:00 – 10:00: Session 3A Closing Remarks |
| Midday: 11:30 – 12:30: Lecture 1B: Ndapa Nakashole (applications of LLMs) 12:30 – 14:00: Lunch Break | Midday: 11:00 – 12:30: Lecture 2B: Ndapa Nakashole (applications of LLMs) 12:30 – 14:00: Lunch Break | Departure |
| Afternoon: 14:00 – 15:00: Lecture 1C: Raphael Flauger (Image models – diffusion models) 15:00 – 15:30: Tea Break 15:30 – 17:00: Coding exercises: Flauger & Nakashole 17:00 – 18:30: Guided hike | Afternoon: 14:00 – 15:30: Coding exercises: Flauger & Nakashole 15:30 – 16:00: Tea Break 16:00 – 17:00: Applying to Graduate school | |
| Evening: 19:00 – 20:30: Dinner | Evening: 19:00 – 20:30: Dinner |
Fellowships
Eligibility: Fellowships will be awarded to waive fees. Anyone can apply for a fellowship. Priority will be given to: 1) students and lectures affiliated with the University of Namibia (UNAM), Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), and other academic institutions 2) those who work for small companies
To apply for a fellowship, you will need to fill out this application by May 20.
Fellowships awards will be announced in early June 2024.
About the venue
The farm is located about an hour north of Windhoek, and about 25 minutes from Okahandja. Questions about the rooms and other matters related to the venue should be directed to: Andreas Tomek.
Pre-Registration Form
1. Fill out this pre-registration form, pay later: Once you submit this form, your application will be reviewed. After that, if the review is fine, subject to limitations imposed by the venue’s capacity, you will you receive a payment link within a few days.
2. Accommodation Package: Accommodation fee includes lodging, breakfast and dinner.
3. Conference-Only Option: Selecting “No accommodation” includes conference participation only, and excludes lodging and meals. While this option is free, pre-registration is still required.
Sponsoring
Organizations interested in supporting the event are invited to get in touch at : nnakashole-at-ucsd.edu. Please note that we are unable to accept funding from government sources or entities with financial ties to the government, including parastatals.
