Ricardo Baeza-Yates is honored with an honorary doctorate from the University of Gothenburg

Professor Ricardo Baeza-Yates, DCC academic and researcher at Millennium Institute Foundational Research on Data IMFD), was surprised and delighted to receive an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Gothenburg (Sweden) at the beginning of the year, which was formally presented at a ceremony on October 17. 

Baeza-Yates, winner of the 2024 National Prize for Applied and Technological Sciences, has been a professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Chile for 40 years and is one of the most internationally renowned figures in the field of web technology research, data science, and responsible artificial intelligence. His scientific contributions cover areas such as information retrieval, web data mining, algorithm development, and the application of machine learning for social welfare, in addition to being a pioneer in promoting bioinformatics in Chile.

Regarding his current work in the field of responsible artificial intelligence, he noted: "AI is transforming our world in so many ways and so quickly that thinking about how to build AI systems that are used responsibly by their creators is a huge challenge. It is interdisciplinary work involving computing, ethics, law, design, sociology, and psychology, which makes it even more challenging. It is a field that seeks to contribute to a better society; it is the perfect combination of a complex scientific challenge and a practical benefit."

Regarding his connection to the University of Gothenburg, the academic explained that he has given lectures at its Department of Computer Science and Engineering (which also belongs to Chalmers University of Technology in the same city) and that he has been an affiliate professor since 2023. "We are currently collaborating on the responsible use of AI with Professors Dubhashi and Schneider," who organized a workshop in my honor on October 15.

This recognition comes on top of his recent appointment as Distinguished Visiting Professor at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, funded by the Wallenberg Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Systems, and Software program, which will allow him to reside in Sweden for six months over the next two years and further strengthen academic ties with that country.

—
Source: DCC Communications