On January 13, at 4:30 p.m., the session “When the Smallest AI Meets the Biggest Data – Nanosecond Discovery at the CERN LHC & the Future of FastML” will take place at the Abreu Faro Auditorium.

The event will feature Thea Aarrestad (Senior Postdoctoral Researcher, ETH Zurich), a specialist in fast machine learning and particle physics; Professor Mário Figueiredo (DEEC / Instituto Superior Técnico), an expert in machine learning and signal processing; and Professor Arlindo Oliveira (DEI / INESC-ID), a specialist in artificial intelligence, algorithms, and bioinformatics.

The subsequent panel discussion, “The Future of Fast Machine Learning,” will focus on future perspectives for the development of processors dedicated to fast machine learning.

Abstract

In particle physics, the Standard Model—our most accurate and predictive theory—remains only an effective description that breaks down at high energies. The search for new physics beyond it is driven by the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which produces an extraordinary 10,000 exabytes of raw data each year from high-energy proton collisions.

As the LHC enters its High-Luminosity era (HL-LHC), these underground systems—located 100 meters underground—must manage data rates approaching 5% of global internet traffic while dealing with increasing event complexity. Achieving the required data fidelity for new physics searches demands AI algorithms that deliver extreme throughput and ultra-low-latency inference.

In this talk, I will show how tiny, highly optimized AI models are redefining what is possible in real-time data processing—and how they are transforming the search for Beyond Standard Model phenomena.

Biografias Curtas

- Thea Aarrestad: Researcher at ETH Zurich and a leading figure in developing low-latency ML algorithms applied to the trigger systems of the CMS detector at CERN.
- Arlindo Oliveira: Distinguished Professor at IST and Researcher at INESC-ID. An expert in Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms, and Computer Architecture, he is the author of several influential books, including "The Digital Mind".
- Mário Figueiredo: Distinguished Professor at IST and Researcher at the Instituto de Telecomunicações (IT). He is one of the most highly-cited Portuguese researchers worldwide in the fields of Machine Learning and Signal Processing.