Carlos Pereira Santos on the topic of Data Science and AI

From small-village origins to AI pioneer

I come from a small coastal village in Portugal and moved to Lisbon to study software engineering. After completing my master's degree, I joined a software house that gave me the opportunity to travel around the world. Nine years later, I transitioned into academia, focusing on game technology and artificial intelligence. This shift led me to develop several initiatives at BUas, from research groups, projects to labs, which led me to tackle one of the most important challenges: AI adoption.

Shaping the future of AI 

Artificial Intelligence is both a daunting and remarkable challenge. Its implications are so vast and profound that it is almost impossible to grasp its full scope. Faced with this reality, I saw two options: either stand on the sidelines or actively shape the future of AI. I’ve always believed in the latter. Surrounded by brilliant and inspiring people, the choice to get involved was an easy one. Through my professorship, I hope to positively influence the AI landscape and help build a more informed, empowered, and connected community.

Advancing AI for a better world   

That’s both an easy and a difficult question. The easy answer is that I want to use AI to make the world a better place. The difficult part lies in how to achieve that. At this point, there's still a great deal of work to be done on three main fronts. First, we need to promote AI literacy. Demystifying AI is essential—people need to understand what AI is, how it works, and how to use it effectively. Second, we need to address and educate others about the social and ethical implications of AI. Responsible development and use are critical to ensuring that AI benefits everyone. Lastly, we aim to spark innovation within our community by empowering individuals to take the lead in creating positive change through AI.

Finding common ground between our inauguration talks  

All three of us have a good sense of community and society, and a sense that technology can profoundly shape our lives—and will continue to do so in the years ahead. To me, embracing the positive potential of digital technologies and AI, while staying alert to their risks and challenges, is not only vital to our three professorships. We share a collective responsibility to shape this future thoughtfully. 


Date and location 

The Inaugural Ceremony will take place on Tuesday 15 April 2025, from 15.00 to 18.00 hrs, on the campus of Breda University of Applied Sciences. 

Registration  

Want to join this special event? Please make sure to register as soon as possible because places are limited. You can register by filling in this form. Please register before 7 April 2025.

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