Saed News: A professor from the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Tehran and the head of the Cognitive Systems Laboratory described one of the key features of artificial intelligence as being transformational.
According to Saed News, Majid Nili Ahmadabadi, speaking at the closing ceremony of the 33rd Research and Technology Festival at the University of Tehran—held on Tuesday at Allameh Amini Hall—addressed AI based on data-driven models. He stated: “Any plan for progress must start with understanding the current situation. Fortunately, serious attention to artificial intelligence is clearly visible across the country, from the highest levels of governance to the general public. Decisions in this area must be based on data and made with sound judgment.”
Raising a key question—how will research, technology, and innovation change in the age of AI, and what actions can we take within the framework of the University of Tehran—he explained: “The models we build in our minds about the world around us shape how we interact with external phenomena. The stronger and more accurate our mental models are, the better we can perform four essential functions.”
Nili explained these four functions as follows: recognizing when a phenomenon occurs, predicting its occurrence, understanding its causes, and planning accordingly. “Since the beginning of history, humanity has been performing these four essential actions, progressing through the construction of mental models.”
He added, “A good mental model enables us to better communicate and apply knowledge. A major transformation in human life was the invention of mathematics, which allowed us to build precise models of certain phenomena. Mathematics enabled us to represent ideas beyond our physical brain using structured notation like pen and paper.”
Nili continued, “However, mathematical models haven’t solved all human problems. Many complex phenomena require understanding that we don’t yet possess—especially regarding how the brain works. This is why we still rely heavily on mental models, and mathematics plays a less prominent role in fields like sociology and psychology, unlike its significant contributions in modeling phenomena such as electromagnetism.”
He went on to explain that the next step involved developing various sensing systems and using them to create mathematical models and numerical simulations. “Once the environment became too complex for pure mathematical approaches, we used simulations and linked them to the real world. This allowed us to apply the four principles using a combination of mental models, mathematical models, and simulators. But so far, all of this has still been connected to structured knowledge through mental models.”
The professor emphasized that a major breakthrough was the creation of data-driven models in AI that enabled the construction of computational models. “The real transformation occurred when we could interact with machines in human language. This language-based interaction is particularly effective in social, economic, and psychological phenomena, where our primary mode of observation and interaction is through language and imagery—something previous AI models couldn’t handle effectively.”
Nili highlighted some of AI's features, saying: “The key strength of artificial intelligence is that it is transformational, not merely incremental. The new language-based AI fundamentally changes human-centered research phenomena.”
At the end of the ceremony, several awards were presented: four exemplary veteran researchers, nine distinguished researchers, six outstanding young researchers, 12 exemplary researchers, 10 top industry and community liaisons, seven exemplary doctoral dissertations, seven outstanding master’s theses, and 14 distinguished innovators were honored.
