Complexity in the Era of AI and Data-Driven Computing

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• Lance Fortnow (Illinois Institute of Technology)
• Monday 09 February 2026, 10:00-11:00
• Computer Laboratory, William Gates Building, FW26.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Tom Gur.

In 2013 I wrote a book chapter on an imagined world where P = NP. A world with advances in medicine, translation, video recognition and generation, and much more. With the advances we’ve seen in computing power, optimization, data-driven algorithms, and of course remarkable advances in artificial intelligence, much of this world is coming true. We’ve made dramatic progress on problems thought unsolvable a decade ago. With one major exception, our cryptographic protocols have remained secure.

How did we get to this seemingly impossible world I call Optiland where we can solve many difficult problems quickly in practice while our secrets remain secure, and what does it mean for our understanding and role of computational complexity?

We’ll give a (mostly) non-technical overview that takes a step back and rethinks complexity in light of these advances, what AI tells us about complexity, and what complexity tells us about AI.

This talk is part of the Algorithms and Complexity Seminar series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• Algorithms and Complexity Seminar
• All Talks (aka the CURE list)
• Cambridge talks
• Computer Laboratory, William Gates Building, FW26
• Department of Computer Science and Technology talks and seminars
• Interested Talks
• School of Technology
• Trust & Technology Initiative - interesting events
• bld31
• yk449

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