Keynote Lecture — AI and Astronomy
Speaker: Prof. Ajit Kembhavi
Abstract: Astronomy has always had a deep relationship with data, which has now extended to a relationship with AI. The first applications of AI to astronomy happened long before AI became mainstream, and over the years the applications have kept pace with developments in AI. In my talk, I will summarize these developments, beginning with simple machine learning and progressing to the Foundation Models of the present. I will then describe astronomical applications of various AI models across various domains.
Date: Sept 25, 2026
Time: 14:15 - 15:15
Location: IUCAA
About the speaker: Ajit Kembhavi works at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune. He is one of the Founders of IUCAA and was Director there until August 2015. He is a Visiting Distinguished Professor at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.
Kembhavi’s research interest are in galaxies, quasars, high energy astrophysics and data driven science. Kembhavi has led the Virtual Observatory-India project for data management, analysis, visualisation and the development of tools for statistical analysis. Presently he is applying AI to diverse problems in astrophysics and other domain of science
Kembhavi has published a large number of research papers and several books. He is involved in many national and international collaborations and is one of the key persons responsible for India joining the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) and the LIGO India projects. He has worked at many research centres and universities in many different countries.
Kembhavi has been a member of the Space Commission of the Government of India and is presently a member of the ISRO’s Apex Science Board. He was Vice-President of the International Astronomical Union, President, Astronomical Society of India and President, Indian Association for General Relativity and Gravitation and Chair of the International Virtual Observatory Alliance. He is a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences, India.