Topic: AI and Machine Learning are changing engineering

Lecturer: Adam Sobey, Director of Sustainability Programs at The Alan Turing Institute (UK National AI Institute), and Professor of Data-Driven Engineering in the Department of Maritime Engineering, University of Southampton

Time: September 19th, 10:00, UTC+8

Venue: Conference Room 308, School of Transportation and Logistics Engineering

Biography

Professor Adam Sobey focuses on the application and development of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies in the engineering field, with a particular focus on reducing emissions and improving safety performance. He currently holds multiple positions: Director of the Sustainability Mission at The Alan Turing Institute (UK National AI Institute), Professor of Data-Centric Engineering in the Department of Maritime Engineering at the University of Southampton, Non-Executive Director at Theyr Ltd (a supplier of meteorological, oceanographic, and voyage optimization software), and provider of digital assurance tools for AQ. Additionally, he serves as Executive Editor for the journals Data-Centric Engineering and Ships and Offshore Structures. Professor Sobey earned a Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautics from the University of Southampton in 2006, and a PhD from the university’s Department of Maritime Engineering in 2010, where his research focused on the application of AI in recreational ship design. Since 2009, he has led the Joint Industry Research Centre in Maritime Structures established by Lloyd’s Register and the UK Ministry of Defence at Southampton to develope new technologies for modeling damaged ships. The relevant research findings have been incorporated into Lloyd’s Register’s design specifications, and in 2015, he was awarded the Jeom Paik Award by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA). In 2014, Professor Sobey became a Fellow funded by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation. During this period, 50% of his working time was seconded to the Institute of High Performance Computing in Singapore, where he engaged in the research and development of new algorithms in the field of evolutionary computation. He was appointed Lecturer in the Department of Maritime Engineering in 2018, and in 2019, he was invited to establish the Marine and Maritime Research Team under the Data-Centric Engineering Programme at The Alan Turing Institute. In 2022, he became the first Professor in the field of Data-Centric Engineering; in 2023, he took on the role of Director of the Data-Centric Engineering Programme; and since 2025, he has served as Director of the Sustainability Programme.

Abstract

 his lecture will explore how AI and machine learning are reshaping the paradigms of modern engineering. Against the backdrop of unprecedentedly abundant data volume and computing power today, large-scale data applications—once unattainable—have become feasible, and they exhibit enormous potential especially in fields characterized by complex models and high experimental costs. While the development of pure data models is becoming increasingly straightforward, truly unlocking their value requires the realization of large-scale customized deployment. This means constructing thousands, tens of thousands, or even millions of customized models. This process is confronted with multiple challenges, such as scattered and heterogeneous data sources (from different enterprises, with different naming conventions and measurement units), data cleaning and quality control, model construction and verification, dynamic update mechanisms, and result delivery to non-professional users. To address these issues, Professor Adam Sobey is developing an "AI Data Engineer" system under the framework of the "Sustainability Mission" at The Alan Turing Institute, which is capable of independently building and maintaining large-scale data pipelines. The lecture will focus on introducing the background of The Alan Turing Institute (UK National AI Institute), elaborating on the necessity of data-centric engineering, and sharing the latest progress of the AI Data Engineer project advanced under the framework of the "Sustainability Mission" project.

Rewritten by: Li Huihui

Edited by: Li Tiantian

Source: School of Transportation and Logistics Engineering