Head of AI at iFood gives guest lecture, SKEMA Brazil

​Our everyday life is permeated by solutions, applications and platforms that make use of artificial intelligence. But many still do not believe that it could be part of their job or business. On 6 May 2022, SKEMA's Belo Horizonte campus in Brazil welcomed Victor Salles, head of artificial intelligence at iFood and one of the co-founders of Hekima, to discuss the matter. His presentation was part of the course on Innovation and Business Development in the Health Area (a partnership between SKEMA Brazil and Faculdade Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais).

The essence of AI

The guest lecturer addressed in a simple and practical way what artificial intelligence is, how it can be optimised to solve business problems, and the power of this science. He also presented some of Hekima's contributions to iFood and how he used his experience as an entrepreneur in the technology area to make some concepts in the area tangible. 

He also highlighted a 1950 definition by John McCarthy that he believes portrays the essence of what artificial intelligence is: "It is the science and engineering of creating intelligent machines". In the end, the students had the opportunity to ask questions and discuss more about the topic with the guest. Thus, they not only gained knowledge but worked on their networking skills as well.