Research
My research interests cover both the theory and practice of a number of inter-related areas:
- Artificial General Intelligence, including approximations of AIXI
- Large-scale Machine Learning on Parallel Databases, including work on Apache MADlib
- Declarative Programming Languages, including design and implementation of Escher and Bach
- Privacy Technologies and their applications in anti-money laundering
- Large-scale probabilistic entity resolution, including the PSig algorithm used in combating welfare fraud (see also StellarGraph)
- Probabilistic reasoning in higher-order logic
- Statistical Relational Learning
- Smart Contracts on Blockchains, including an application in AML/CTF
Biography
I am a (part-time) Associate Professor in ANU’s newly formed Software Innovation Institute (SII) and one of the first two Translational Fellows appointed through ANU’s Entrepreneurial Academic Scheme.
I have more than 15 years of post-PhD experience in multiple domains, including government (cyber security, anti-money-laundering and counter terrorism financing, service delivery, healthcare fraud), investment banking, retail, telecom, oil and gas (midstream), and manufacturing. I have consulted for many large enterprises in Asia-Pacific-Japan and act as a trusted advisor for many industry colleagues.
In my day job at Services Australia, I lead a team of data scientists, security architects and security engineers in building and strenghtening the cyber security capabilities behind whole-of-government systems like the new myGov system, GovERP, Digital Identity, and Cyber Hub.
I maintain a blog here: http://mentalmodels4life.net
Awards
- $8.7m in R&D funding from the Fintel Alliance Expansion NPP (2019 Australian Government Budget)
- Translational Fellow by ANU (2018)
- Australia Day CEO Award by AUSTRAC (2017)
- IJCAI-JAIR Best Paper Award: Honorable Mention (2014)
- Three $2.56 checks from Emeritus Professor Donald Knuth