Upcoming Events
Statistics for AI or AI for Statistics?
- Date: Monday, January 26th, 2026
- Time: 4:00 p.m - Lecture and Q&A | 5:00 p.m. - Reception
- Location: Clark-Fox Forum, Hillman Hall
Join us for the Dean's Distinguished Lecture with Xuming He, Chair of the Department of Statistics & Data Science and Kotzubei-Beckmann Distinguished Professor.
Lecture Details
As organizations across both the public and private sectors continue to experiment with AI technologies, one thing is clear: progress in AI relies not only on data, computing power, algorithms, and robust safety protocols, but also on a solid grounding in statistical principles. Building trustworthy AI requires statistical thinking at its core. At the same time, the rapid expansion of AI is generating new challenges and opportunities that stimulate advances in statistical theory and methodology.
In this presentation, Professor He will argue that statistics and AI are becoming increasingly intertwined as they advance toward a shared future in the digital age. As one illustration, he will discuss the complementary roles of statistics and AI in the generation and analysis of synthetic data, including data generated from human–machine interactions.
About Xuming He
Xuming He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Fudan University, China, before pursuing his master’s degree in mathematics and doctoral degree in statistics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). In 2011, he joined the University of Michigan as the H.C. Carver Collegiate Professor of Statistics. In 2023, he assumed the role of the inaugural chair of the Department of Statistics and Data Science at Washington University in St. Louis.
His research focuses on robust statistical analysis of observational data and designed experiments, particularly in areas such as quantile regression analysis, Bayesian computation, subgroup analysis, and post-selection inference and decision-making. His interdisciplinary approach aims to enhance the application of statistics and data science methods across various fields including biosciences, climate studies, concussion research, and social-economic studies.
He is the Past President of the International Statistical Institute, the only non-government global statistical organization with consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Currently, he serves as Joint Editor of the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series B, the flagship journal of the Royal Statistical Society on statistical methodology.
He is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Statistical Association, and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. In addition, he was awarded the Carver Medal (2022) from the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, and the Founders Award (2021) from the American Statistical Association for his decades-long leadership in the profession.
