In this episode of the IEEE Signal Processing Society podcast, Felicia Lim, a staff software engineer at Google, where she works on audio signal processing and machine learning, interviews Dr. Ivan Tashev, Partner Software Architect at Microsoft Research (MSR) – Redmond USA, where he leads the Audio and Acoustics Research Group. Their conversation explores the rapid development of novel algorithms in AI and their impact on the audio processing domain. Dr. Ivan Tashev Dr. Ivan Tashev is a Partner Software Architect at MSR in Redmond, WA, USA, where he leads the Audio and Acoustics Research Group and also coordinates the Brain-Computer Interfaces project. He is an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle, USA, and an Honorary Professor at the Technical University of Sofia, Bulgaria. He is also an IEEE Fellow and a member of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) and the Acoustical Society of America (ASA).In this episode, Dr. Tashev discusses the unique challenges of audio signal processing as a specialized domain, examining why traditional statistical methods have limitations and how machine learning and AI approaches offer new solutions. He also talks about the future trajectory of machine learning and AI in transforming audio signal processing capabilities.
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Trustworthy Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
In this episode of the IEEE Signal Processing Society podcast, Dr. Lav Varshney, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign interviews Dr. Kush Varshney, an IBM Fellow and globally recognized expert in trustworthy machine learning. Their conversation explores the multifaceted landscape of trustworthy AI. Kush VarshneyKush R. Varshney is an IBM Fellow at IBM Research and a leading authority on trustworthy AI. His work focuses on making AI systems not only accurate but also fair, robust, explainable, transparent, inclusive, and beneficial. He is the author of a book entitled “Trustworthy Machine Learning” and creator of widely used toolkits like AI Fairness 360 and AI Explainability 360.In this episode, Dr. Varshney outlines the core principles of trustworthy AI and distinguishes it from related concepts such as AI ethics, AI safety, and responsible AI. He shares how signal processing techniques—like Boolean compressed sensing and continued fraction representations, and short-time Fourier transforms—inform his approach. The conversation covers the societal impact of AI, the shift toward generative and agentic models, the importance of governance and policy, and new research directions aimed at building more empowering and accountable AI systems.
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Efficient Machine Learning Systems for Signal Processing
In this episode of the IEEE Signal Processing Society podcast, Nir Shlezinger from Ben-Gurion University and Yonina C. Eldar from the Weizmann Institute of Science discuss the design of machine learning systems that are inherently efficient. Nir Shlezinger and Yonina C. EldarNir Shlezinger is an Assistant Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. His research spans signal processing, machine learning, and communications. He has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the IEEE Communications Society Fred W. Ellersick Prize and the 2024 Krill Award.Yonina C. Eldar is a Professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science, where she heads the Center for Biomedical Engineering and Signal Processing. She is also a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and an IEEE Fellow.In this episode, Dr. Shlezinger and Dr. Eldar engage in a rich discussion on model-based deep learning—an approach that combines classical signal processing principles with modern data-driven techniques. This framework promotes efficiency not only through computational improvements, but by designing learning algorithms that naturally align with physical models and mathematical structures. They explore the key principles behind this methodology, its practical advantages, and its growing impact across a range of signal processing applications.
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The Cutting Edge of Speech Recognition
In this episode of the IEEE Signal Processing Society podcast, Dr. Sanjeev Khudanpur, Director of the Center for Language and Speech Processing, Johns Hopkins University interviews Associate Prof. Shinji Watanabe, Language Technologies Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. They talk about the latest research and innovations in speech recognition technologies and their impact across various industries. Shinji WatanabeShinji Watanabe is an Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and a leading researcher in speech and language processing. His work spans automatic speech recognition, speech enhancement, spoken language understanding, and machine learning for speech and language processing. He has contributed more than 500 publications to peer-reviewed journals and received several awards, including the best paper award from ISCA Interspeech 2024. In this episode, Associate Prof. Watanabe reflects on the transformative progress in speech recognition over the past decade, highlighting milestones from the adoption of deep neural networks to the rise of large-scale models like OpenAI Whisper. He discusses the ongoing challenges in achieving human-level understanding in complex scenarios such as multi-speaker conversations, accented and multilingual speech, and child or disordered speech. He concludes with thoughts on academia’s enduring role in shaping the field, and how his inspiration is often drawn from science fiction and Japanese animation.
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AI Revolution in Communications: Large Language Models and Beyond
In this episode of the IEEE Signal Processing Society podcast, Prof. Samson Lasaulce, Chief Research Scientist at Khalifa University (KU) interviews Prof. Merouane Debbah, founding Director of the KU 6G Research Center. They talk about how AI is transforming the future of wireless communications, the use of large language models (LLMs) to revolutionize network management, improve communication protocols, and advance automation.About the speaker Mérouane Debbah is a Professor at Khalifa University of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi and founding Director of the KU 6G Research Center. His research bridges mathematics, algorithms, statistics, and communication sciences, with a focus on random matrix theory and learning algorithms. He has played a pivotal role in advancing small cells (4G), Massive MIMO (5G), and Large Intelligent Surfaces (6G) technologies. He is a frequent keynote speaker at international events in the field of telecommunication and AI.In this episode, Professor Debbah explores the transformative potential of LLMs in wireless communication. Key applications include dynamic spectrum management, end-to-end system optimization, fault detection, mobility management, and AI-based localization. These techniques enhance data handling and system performance by replacing complex modeling with efficient data-driven approaches. These insights shed light on how 6G, powered by pervasive AI, will revolutionize wireless networks and redefine communication frameworks for the future.
Sobre Our Digital Life Podcast: A series by IEEE-SPS
As the world's largest professional organization, IEEE plays a significant role in enhancing the quality of our lives. Specifically, the IEEE signal processing society or SPS focuses on research and development of audio and speech processing, biomedical analysis, and wireless communication technologies, all of which are key enablers to today's modern society. In this series, we explore more about the works of signal processing and engage with various global speakers.
Ouve Our Digital Life Podcast: A series by IEEE-SPS, Inteligência Emocional • O Podcast e muitos outros podcasts de todo o mundo com a aplicação radio.pt