The 5th scientific conference on AI research put technology at the service of health, the environment and industry

Navarra became this week the national showcase of applied artificial intelligence (AI). The V Scientific conference on data Science and Artificial Intelligence, organized by the Institute of data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DATAI) of the of the University of Navarra, the Navarra Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (NAIR) and the Public University of Navarra (UPNA), gathered for two days more than fifty specialists to discuss and demonstrate the transformative power of AI in medicine, sustainability and industry 4.0."These conference show that AI can improve the quality of life and economic competitiveness without sacrificing ethics and transparency," Jesús López Fidalgo, director of DATAI, emphasized during the inauguration.

Statistical modeling and digital medicine

The first session, held at the University of Navarra, focused on four areas: statistical modeling, digital medicine, explainable AI and practical applications. The papers presented included programs of study on new methods to analyze complex data more reliably, techniques to correct errors in predictive models, and tools capable of detecting biological alterations associated with neurodegenerative diseases from brain imaging or genetic analysis. In addition, approaches to mitigate biases in AI models and tools to improve the interpretability of results were discussed. Applied developments such as a sensorized glove for neurological rehabilitation, energy optimization systems in wastewater treatment plants or analysis of the climate impact of urban trees were also presented.

The workshop concluded with the lecture "Algorithmic Equity in the Age of Big Data", given by Rosa Elvira Lillo, director of the Big Data Institute of the Carlos III University of Madrid, who warned of the risks of perpetuating biases when models are not audited in real environments.

_{From left to right: Jesús Lopez Fidalgo, Marisol Gómez Fernández, Christine Choirat, Angela Bernardin Gagliani, Gorka García Rodero and Ivan Cordon Medrano.}

Biomedical AI and Industry 4.0

The second day, at UPNA, focused on precision medicine, deep learning applied to immunotherapy and predictive maintenance in industrial environments.

Other presentations showed advances in immunotherapy through deep learning or the use of multimodal neural networks capable of integrating image, text and audio Structures inspired by the human brain that learn to solve complex tasks-, and genetic algorithms that optimize industrial lamination to reduce material waste. Pioneering programs of study were also presented, such as the employment immunological biomarkers to anticipate sepsis and design personalized therapies; and applied work on predictive maintenance in railway infrastructures, optimization of industrial processes such as the lamination of materials and bibliometric analysis using generative artificial intelligence.

The closing lecture was position by Christine Choirat, researcher at the Global Studies Institute (Université de Genève), who insisted on the need for "explainable, audited and people-centered artificial intelligence" to ensure public confidence.