IDM Seminar Program

Wednesday, 11 November 2026 | 13:00 - 14:00
Wolfson Pavilion Lecture Theatre, IDM Building

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Speaker: Assoc Prof Jonathan Shock 

Bio: Jonathan Shock is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics at the University of Cape Town, where he directs the UCT AI Initiative. He is also an Adjunct Professor at INRS in Montréal. His research spans theoretical physics, reinforcement learning and computational neuroscience, with a particular interest in understanding intelligence as a dynamical and physical process. He studies reinforcement learning, multi-agent systems and theory-driven AI for science, asking how ideas from statistical mechanics, dynamical systems and other areas of mathematics can inform the design and analysis of learning systems. Jonathan completed his PhD at the University of Southampton in 2005, working on applications of string theory to quantum chromodynamics. After postdoctoral appointments in Beijing, Santiago de Compostela and Munich, he joined UCT in 2013. He supervises research across mathematics, machine learning and interdisciplinary AI, and is deeply committed to teaching and building research capacity.

 

Abstract: Generative Artificial Intelligence is changing the world in radical ways, both positive and deeply worrying. In the research space it holds incredible opportunity for rapid advancements, but we could also lose control of many aspects of the research pipeline if we are not careful with how we use these tools. In this talk I will discuss some of the ways that we can use GenAI today within the research process, speculate on what the next year or so may look like, and provide some guidance on how we can do this as responsibly as possible.