Emile Aarts: onwards and upwards

Academic start

Return to academia

‘When the decision was made that various Philips organizational units would go it alone, I felt the time had come for me to move on. I first became Dean for Mathematics and Informatics at Eindhoven University of Technology and then, in 2015, Rector Magnificus of Tilburg University. The university had two main objectives: to grow the number of students and to intensify collaboration between the two universities in Brabant. And we succeeded. We now have the Jheronimus Academy of Data Science (JADS), a partnership of the two universities, the City of Den Bosch and the province of North Brabant. The number of students also increased considerably during my term of office to approximately 20,000 in 2022. And as Rector, I also frequently engaged in discussions about the relevance of Tilburg University and the Impact program gave it a tremendous boost.’ In 2019, Emile Aarts stepped down as Rector Magnificus and focused on his work as Professor of AI and Data Science. ‘I went back to teaching and doing research, mostly at JADS. And I taught introductory classes on the history of AI at TSHD.’

AI’s rich history is replete with controversies. In fact, I know of no other discipline that has so many. In my classes, students sometimes fiercely debate AI amongst themselves and with their lecturers, and I find it truly inspiring to see their engagement and to listen to their arguments

A young discipline with rival ‘parents’

‘Data Science became a discipline in its own right in the US around the year 2010. Its “parents” tend to vie for credit: statistics and informatics. And Data Science does indeed use statistical methods, like regression theory. Yet it was informatics that enabled computers to process the large data sets that are the strength and added value of Data Science. As a result of the rise of technologies like chatbots, search engines, smartphones, and sensors, the amount of data has grown tremendously over the past years. Using the right algorithms and self-learning systems (AI), Data Science can extract valuable information.’

No end of controversies

‘AI’s rich history is replete with controversies. In fact, I know of no other discipline that has so many. In my classes, students sometimes fiercely debate AI amongst themselves and with their lecturers, and I find it truly inspiring to see their engagement and to listen to their arguments. One such controversy is the Turing test, which may or may not determine whether a computer is as intelligent as a human being. And computers that can equal or outdo human beings in such a test also stir up controversy. Consider Garry Kasparov, who as world chess champion took on IBM supercomputer Deep Blue in 1997 and lost. It turned his life upside down and like him many others were stunned that a computer could beat a human being at chess – a game that had for a long time been regarded as the pinnacle of human intelligence. The unsettling feeling that crept over Kasparov as the match progressed – the feeling that he might lose – is known as uncanny valley.’

The current generation of students, generation Z, has a fresh look on this topic and it fascinates me to exchange ideas with them

Increasingly intelligent

‘Computers have advanced so much that they can now win far more complex games than chess, like the game Go, which is immensely popular in Asia. And recently, AI had another first by beating the world’s unofficial best Stratego player. Another recent development is the rise of ChatGPT, which, having been trained on huge quantities of text, can generate answers to questions by itself. In the area of automated generation of visuals, too, computers have made great strides; the DALL×E program is a case in point. Also, Moravec’s paradox has been tackled. According to this principle, computers had great difficulty interpreting perception and mobility, which young children by contrast found extremely easy to do. AI has succeeded in catching up here, too.’

Humanity’s end

‘People sometimes worry about artificial intelligence, thinking that AI will mean the end of humanity as we know it: we’d all become subordinated to robots and enslaved by our systems. This fear is not new, by the way. The word “robot”, for example, was used in a play written by the Czech Carel Čapek in the 1930s – when they didn’t even have robots. Many gripping stories and movies have since appeared that sometimes make our hair stand on end. Today, robots can be used to perform many useful tasks, but certain applications remain controversial. For example, robots being used to make elderly people feel less lonely does beg the question whether it is not our social duty as human beings to visit them. Every academic year I enjoy writing down wonderful responses from students to such issues.’

We’re living in a uniquely fascinating time that is witnessing two global revolutions play out: a digital transition and a sustainability one

Unrequited love

‘The current generation of students, generation Z, has a fresh look on this topic and it fascinates me to exchange ideas with them; I really do have a soft spot for them. They sometimes refer to themselves as “a lost generation” because the Covid-19 pandemic and other global catastrophes and events have robbed them of a carefree youth. I can relate to that, and sometimes, being a post-war baby boomer myself, I catch myself thinking that I wouldn’t want to be young now either. Yet at the same time they sometimes do irk me a bit. In the pandemic, for example, we issued two books, The new common and Shaping New Commons, which offer a scientific perspective on the societal changes Covid-19 triggered. I struggled to get students to contribute and it sometimes seemed that we couldn’t get across what the point of it all was. At such moments it feels as if it’s harder to mobilize this generation to invest time and effort in something and to me that feels a bit like unrequited love.’

Digital and green: the twin transformation

Emile Aarts won’t be resting on his laurels for quite some years to come. ‘Certainly not. We’re living in a uniquely fascinating time that is witnessing two global revolutions play out: a digital transition and a sustainability one. These transitions are now often perceived as the twin transformation of green and digital. This is mostly about reshaping our economic mindset: stepping away from growth for the sake of growth to investing in moderation, sustainability, and circularity, because our supply of materials and resources is inevitably limited. Recent digital developments enable this paradigm shift and the government has a key role to play in making it happen. Yet it doesn’t have the knowledge and skills to do so. That is why it is so important that we equip generation Z students and future generations of students with the knowledge and skills they need, and digital skills are of paramount importance. We often call that GovTech, Government and Technology.’

I have a dream that Tilburg University is at the nexus of AI evolution, preparing this and future generations of students to boldly take the lead, empowering the university to truly help society move forward

Using AI for our benefit

‘I myself recently joined the Analytics Committee of the Ministry of Finance as chair. Its job is to give advice on the use of algorithms and AI in social services and that effectively makes it the government’s digital engineer, demonstrating the added value of AI for things like the allowances system and the automation of the tax authorities, customs, and the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service. I am also involved in other initiatives to use AI for society’s benefit, such as the National AI Coalition. This coalition has launched a variety of activities, like the ELSA labs. These labs address the ethical, legal, and societal dimensions of using AI and we use the labs to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). In Tilburg, the established Zero Hunger Lab is using AI to improve the logistics of food distribution in areas that need help and its scope was recently extended to include the Zero Poverty Lab. I continue to be involved in taking MindLabs to the next level. This is the epicenter of AI in the Tilburg Rail District (Spoorzone) when it comes to applying AI, and virtual reality in particular, in the media and journalism.’

Pioneer tree

In the years to come, Emile Aarts will continue to work to address societal problems using AI. ‘I don’t know if my age has anything to do with it, but these days I tend to focus more on short-term feasibility and success. I’m a bit like the pioneer tree that was planted for me on campus behind Cobbenhagen Building: I’m keen to sustain growth and keep momentum going. In the coming years, I’d like to set up more ELSA labs to help push back illiteracy and improve the use of medical supplies. It would be a good thing if we ended up with one or more ELSA labs for every SDG. And education naturally has a role to play here. I have a dream that Tilburg University is at the nexus of AI evolution, preparing this and future generations of students to boldly take the lead, empowering the university to truly help society move forward.'