UTSA Pioneers Advancements in Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing

UTSA researchers are developing new forms of AI inspired from the human brain

By Ryan Schoensee

When thinking about artificial intelligence, the things that may come to mind are movies directed by Steven Spielberg or starring Will Smith. UTSA researchers are looking to change that by implementing it into daily life in safe and revolutionary ways.

These transformational technologies will fundamentally change how we observe, interpret and interact with the world of data that surrounds us. These fields have the potential to unlock novel developments that could enhance our future in new and exciting ways that were once thought possible only in science fiction.

UTSA has partnered with industries and nonprofits to collaborate on advancing these novel research areas. In October 2021, UTSA cohosted the AI and Quantum Symposium, a two-day event focused on the current state of AI and quantum computing with discussions about the potential impact of their convergence. The research partners included MATRIX, UTSA’s AI Consortium for Human Well-Being; BigBear.ai; and the Maryland Innovation and Security Institute (MISI). Queue the Qubits. What Are Quantum Computers?

Many industries—including science, engineering, finance and logistics—are exploring quantum computers because they are able to solve certain types of problems exponentially faster than classical supercomputers. Quantum computers enable us to better manage complicated systems like traffic flow, chemical reactions and artificial intelligence, which relies on processing large, complex datasets to develop algorithms that allow for learning, reasoning and understanding.

“There are many important products—pharmaceuticals, for example— where a computationally expedited design process is not possible, due to the exponential scaling of quantum mechanical systems with their size,” said Tyler Sutherland, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. “To unlock this potential, we need quantum computers.”

Sutherland’s research focuses on developing new ways to physically perform quantum logic operations that are faster, easier and more accurate. He was part of a recent collaboration that set a world record for innovation in quantum computing. By developing the theory behind this record-setting experiment, Sutherland and his team were able to set the world record for the most accurate entangling gate ever demonstrated without lasers, which is substantially more cost-effective and easier to use, and it opens the door for more research opportunities in quantum computing.

An entangling gate is one of two fundamental operations needed to make a quantum computer.

Teaching AI How to Learn

Over the past two decades, artificial intelligence has made significant advancements, moving from recognizing handwritten digits to pinpointing one person in a crowd. It has current-day applications in everything from chatbots, natural language processing, facial recognition and apps on a smartphone.

Dhireesha Kudithipudi, the founding director of MATRIX and a professor in the Department of Computer Science, is providing a space for researchers to drive technical advancements that range from machine learning to neuroscience-inspired AI to augmenting humanity’s capabilities.

Kudithipudi is developing AI algorithms that can continually learn and develop new skills. Inspired by the plasticity and efficiency of human brains, Kudithipudi’s research aims to build a new form of AI with lifelong learning capabilities that is able to adapt to unexpected environments and remember how it solved past problems in order to build an increasing level of expertise.

Kudithipudi’s team recently demonstrated lifelong learning AI capabilities in spiking networks (artificial neural networks that closely mimic a natural neural network) and fabricated a custom AI accelerator chip that supports lifelong learning. They plan to test the hardware within a few months.

“AI has the potential to revolutionize how we live, work, learn, discover and communicate,” Kudithipudi said. “It will be an integral digital fabric, and we are at a defining moment in the AI technological revolution.”

UTSA faculty who attended the AI and Quantum Symposium at the Maryland Innovation and Security Institute held on Oct. 2021, from left to right: Ana Laredo, engagement manager for Strategic Research Initiatives; Michelle Atchison, senior national security strategist from Strategic Research Initiatives; Jeff Prevost, interim executive director of the Open Cloud Institute and electrical and computer engineering assistant professor; Bernard Arulanandam, VP of Research Economic Development and Knowledge Enterprise and center director of the Open Cloud Institute; Murtuza Jadliwala, computer science associate professor; Dhireesha Kudithipudi, founding director of the AI Institute and professor in both computer science and electrical and computer engineering; Tyler Sutherland, assistant professor in both physics and astronomy and electrical and computer engineering; Jaclyn Shaw, associate vice president of Strategic Research Initiatives; Jose Morales, assistant professor in both physics and astronomy and mathematics; and Stacy Cantu Pawlik, assistant operations director for the AI Institute.

Walter Richardson, a professor in the Department of Mathematics, taught the first Quantum Computation course at UTSA in 2019. He was part of the UTSA SkyImager project to develop a low-cost imaging system for forecasting solar irradiance. The technology featured deep-learning AI models to accurately predict irradiances from images at one-tenth of the cost of current commercial systems.