The Data Driven Future of Astrophysics & Cosmology in the Age of AI

by Prof. Jean-Paul Kneib (EPFL)

Thursday 29 Oct 2026, 14:00 → 15:00 Asia/Shanghai

Tsung-Dao Lee Institute/S4F-SW - Open Area (Tsung-Dao Lee Institute)

Host: Dong Lai
Join Tencent Meeting：https://meeting.tencent.com/dm/I2OpGN90e0XX
Meeting ID: 616889828 (no password）

Abstract:
As an introduction, I will give a little tour of the Universe showing some examples of use of Machine learning in Astrophysics. I will then explain that we will soon enter in an Exascale volume of astronomical data and give some examples in the case of cosmology experiments. I will also present some recent work of building foundation model in astrophysics and the potential use in the future. It is clear, that huge progress in AI will facilitate discoveries, but these can only come from a joint work of human and interfacial intelligence - let’s continue to be curious!

Biography:
Jean-Paul Kneib is Professor of Astrophysics and director of the EPFL Laboratory of Astrophysics (LASTRO) since 2016. His main research interest is observational cosmology. In particular he has been the principal investigator of the SDSS-IV/eBOSS project from 2011 to 2018. He is very active in 3 collaborations which plan to constrain the nature of Dark Energy: using gravitational lensing techniques (Euclid) and galaxy clustering (DESI and 4MOST). He is leading the Astrobots multidisciplinary group that develops innovative robotic solution for astronomy instruments, in particular for robotic fiber positioner systems (participating in DESI, leading the construction of the fiber positioner robotic system for the SDSS-V project, and currently for the Tsinghua University MUST project). He is also leading the Consortium of the Swiss participation to the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), and is also renowned for his work on gravitational lensing, a field in which he is still active through analysis of Space Telescopes data (HST, JWST, Euclid). Since 2017, Jean-Paul Kneib is the Academic Director of the EPFL Space Center. This center aims to educate future talents in the “Space domain” and develop novel and ambitious research projects focusing in particular on Space Sustainability. Jean-Paul Kneib has been serving for many international committees: telescope time attribution committees and grant allocation committees. He has supervised more than 25 PhD students and has mentored more than 20 postdoctoral fellows. He has co-authored more than 500 referee publications. Together with Prof. Sarah Kenderdine he has developed and curated the exhibition “Cosmos Archeology” who was first presented at the EPFL Pavilions in 2022/23. The Exhibition was presented at the Shanghai Astronomy Museum from in 2024, and at the Guangdong Science and Technology Museum, and Beijing National Museum in 2025. Melding art and science, “Cosmos Archaeology: Explorations in Time and Space” reveals the depths of the Universe through physical, perceptual and sensory interaction. Harnessing technologies of immersive and interactive visualization and the visual arts, the exhibition transforms the most complex astrophysical data into sounds and images that everyone can experience. As part of the exhibition the 20-min long movie “Archaeology of Light” narrates the exploration of the Universe from the Earth orbits occupied by man-made satellites to the limits of our observable universe. Jean-Paul Kneib has a master degree in space technologies and a PhD in Astrophysics. After his PhD, he has worked as a support astronomer, at the European Space Observatory in Chile. He has conducted research in Cambridge (UK), Toulouse, Caltech and Marseille before coming to EPFL in 2012.