The IEEE Computer Society BRAC University Student Branch Chapter (IEEE CS BRACU SBC) continues to lead the way in educating and empowering students in the ever-evolving field of technology. On November 15, 2024, IEEE CS BRACU SBC successfully organized a webinar titled “Generative AI: From Concepts to Research.” Conducted on the Google Meet platform and attended by over 20 enthusiastic students, the session offered a deep dive into the transformative world of Generative AI, with Mr. Fahim Ul Islam as the esteemed speaker, a research assistant of the CSE Department of BRAC University.

Generative AI is a subset of artificial intelligence that focuses on creating new content—whether text, images, music, or even entire videos—based on learned patterns in vast datasets. The webinar provided attendees with a solid foundation in understanding how Generative AI works, starting with the fundamental concepts and moving towards its practical implementations in industries such as healthcare, business, and transportation.

The session began with an overview of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and Large Language Models (LLMs), two core technologies driving this revolutionary field. Mr. Fahim Ul Islam explained the mechanics behind these models, particularly how they “learn” from data and generate unique outputs. He also discussed popular tools and frameworks like GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) and DALL-E, which are commonly used for text and image generation, respectively.

The webinar highlighted the diverse applications of Generative AI, showcasing its potential to transform industries. The speaker elaborated on how this technology is currently being used to create life-like medical images for diagnosis, develop personalized marketing campaigns in business, and improve traffic flow predictions in transportation systems. These examples inspired students by demonstrating how AI is no longer a concept of the future but an active part of our present lives.

The speaker also touched on ethical concerns related to the use of Generative AI. He urged students to consider the implications of bias in datasets, the misuse of AI for misinformation, and the importance of creating fair and accountable systems. This segment emphasized the need for responsible AI research and application, particularly in a rapidly growing field like Generative AI.

The highlight of the session was the interactive question-and-answer session, where students engaged in lively discussions with the speaker. Mr. Fahim encouraged students to explore their curiosity, addressing a wide array of questions ranging from how to begin a research journey in Generative AI to the computational resources required to train models. He shared insights into how aspiring researchers can overcome challenges, such as limited access to hardware, by leveraging cloud computing services and open-source datasets.

Mr. Fahim also demonstrated pathways for students to venture into AI research. These included identifying a niche area of interest, such as multimodal AI (combining text and images) or low-resource AI (training models with smaller datasets). He emphasized the importance of understanding the mathematical and programming foundations of machine learning and suggested platforms like Kaggle, and Coursera to begin experimenting with projects.

The session concluded with the speaker encouraging students to dream big and take small steps toward meaningful research. He highlighted the importance of collaboration, pointing out that interdisciplinary approaches—such as combining AI with biology or environmental science—could open new avenues for impactful innovations.

To motivate students further, Mr. Fahim shared personal anecdotes from his journey as an AI researcher, including his early struggles and eventual breakthroughs. These stories resonated deeply with attendees, making them realize that successful AI researchers often start from humble beginnings.

The webinar also looked ahead to the future of Generative AI. The speaker discussed emerging trends in the field, such as zero-shot learning (where models learn tasks without prior examples) and the integration of AI in creative fields like film-making and game design. He emphasized that the coming decade would see an unprecedented growth of opportunities for AI professionals, with Generative AI being at the forefront of innovation.

This webinar, part of our ongoing initiative to bridge the gap between academia and industry, reflects the chapter’s dedication to equipping students with the insights they need to succeed in their professional journeys.

The event ended on a high note, with IEEE CS BRACU SBC expressing its gratitude to both the speaker and the attendees for making the session a grand success. The chapter is determined to continue organizing such impactful events to nurture the next generation of innovators and researchers.