DOHA, QATAR – Raj Reddy, Carnegie Mellon University's Moza Bint Nasser University Professor of Computer Science and Robotics, delivered an insightful lecture on Monday as part of Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s A. Nico Habermann Distinguished Lecture Series in Computer Science.

In a lecture titled “Computing Technology in Service of Society”, Reddy acknowledged the exponential growth that is taking place in Information Technology (IT) and explained how it can be used to address problems in society.

Reddy is a pioneer in research on robotics and intelligent systems and has had a profound impact on society, bringing the benefits of information technologies to some of the world’s poorest people.

Computer technology has transformed the way we live, learn, work and interact with each other and will continue to do so, Reddy said. However, there are currently 5 billion people worldwide at the bottom of the pyramid who do not have access to devices or networks and are yet to realize the vast benefits of IT.

Reddy discussed the possible solutions that, through IT, could improve the lives of these individuals. IT can resolve basic human needs, such as providing access to education, healthcare and entertainment, as well as disaster rescue, helping an aging population, and eliminating auto-related deaths.

Reddy spoke about the current issues within the education sector and went on to explain how computing technology can help overcome illiteracy. “Over a billion people in the world cannot read or write and over two billion people are functionally illiterate; they cannot understand the meaning of the sentences,” he said.

Project Listen Reading Tutor, which was developed by Jack Mostow at Carnegie Mellon University, addresses this problem by offering an effective and affordable way for children to improve their reading skills. The automated tutor aids children through displaying stories on a computer screen and listening to children read aloud using speech recognition technology.

Reddy went on to describe how an autonomous car that can plan and navigate through real-world traffic conditions can reduce the one million road-related deaths worldwide.

“The Navlab vehicles developed by Carnegie Mellon University’s Field Robotics Center have demonstrated capability of autonomously operating at highway speeds for extended periods of time. The key potential benefits of such systems are reduction of accident rates because of the collision-avoidance capabilities, reduction in driver fatigue, increase in fuel efficiency and better utilization of roads due to close-following (platooning),” he explained.

Reddy proposed further solutions to worldwide problems in his talk, but also acknowledged a number of digital divide issues hindering the development of these solutions, including connectivity, computer access, and digital literacy. Reddy went on to explain the necessary conditions required for these technology-based solutions to be realized, including almost free access to internet, accessibility, and affordability.

Reddy helped establish Carnegie Mellon's campus in Qatar. In 2005, he was the first recipient of the Moza Bint Nasser Chair of Computer Science and Robotics, a gift from Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.