Posner Lecture: Probabilistic Machine Learning – Foundations and Frontiers

Probabilistic modelling provides a mathematical framework for understanding what learning is, and has therefore emerged as one of the principal approaches for designing computer algorithms that learn from data acquired through experience. I will review the foundations of this field, from basics to Bayesian nonparametric models and scalable inference. I will then highlight some current areas of research at the frontiers of machine learning, leading up to topics such as probabilistic programming, Bayesian optimisation, the rational allocation of computational resources, and the Automatic Statistician.