CWA Speaker Story: Heather M. Roff

Heather M. Roff is currently a research scientist at Google's DeepMind, a leading artificial intelligence company. Boulder is a familiar place for Dr. Roff, as she received her Ph.D. in political science from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2010. This year, we welcome her back as a speaker for the 70th Annual Conference on World Affairs. 

Dr. Roff will be participating in panels pertaining to ethics, emerging technologies, and women in business. Keep an eye out for her on CWA week!

What are you working on now, and what are you excited about working on in 2018?

Currently, I study the intersection of moral philosophy and artificial intelligence. As for the future, I am really interested in pushing industry, governments and academics to think about artificial intelligence and national security. 

On Twitter, you brand yourself as a "recovering academic". Can you explain the source of this title?

Yes, academia is rough. It is a back biting, caustic, and for all intents and purposes a Sisyphean effort in punishment. One is always told how wrong, boring, trite, uninteresting or generally stupid one's ideas are. It took a long time for me to realize that most of this is just nonsense. So, I'm a recovering academic.

What was one thing that you loved about attending CU Boulder?

My community. I loved my advisor, David, and my community of fellow grad students. I've never felt so like I belonged anywhere. 

What made you decide to attend the Conference this year, and what are you most looking forward to?

A friend reached out to me to see if I'd be interested in attending, and then when I said yes, all of a sudden it became an alumni thing. I'm excited to meet with students. I hear enough from talking heads. I'd rather talk to people who are figuring out what they want to do in life.