The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center
Irvine, CA 92617
United States
Tuesday, November 10th, 2026
5:00-8:30pm
THE ARNOLD O. BECKMAN FAMILY
ANNUAL SCIENCE LECTURE AND DINNER
“AI: The Genie in the Bottle”
No genie wants to stay in the bottle. Artificial intelligence has moved past the lab and into the clinic, the lab bench, and daily life — and like any force once unleashed, it’s reshaping what we thought possible while raising questions we’re still learning to ask. This year's AOB science lecture looks at that double edge: where AI already stands in healthcare, the challenges it poses for society as it scales, and the benefits anticipated for scientific research and human health as the technology matures.
To guide the discussion, we have invited Dr. Pierre Baldi. Dr. Baldi is the Founding Director of the UCI AI in Science Institute and a UCI Distinguished Professor in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, where he leads the Center for Machine Learning and Intelligent Systems. Dr. Baldi is the 2027 recipient of the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society’s Neural Network Pioneer Award, recognizing his contributions to the theory of neural networks and their applications in bioinformatics and chemoinformatics.
Dr. Baldi’s research sits at the intersection of biology and computer science, applying probabilistic and machine learning techniques to problems in biology and to the massive datasets generated by modern data acquisition technologies — genome sequencing, high-throughput drug screening, and DNA microarrays. His work spans AI and machine learning broadly, with particular depth in deep learning, neural networks, and reinforcement learning, driven by a long-standing interest in understanding both natural and artificial intelligence. He is the author of two books, most recently Deep Learning in Science, along with numerous journal publications in the field.
Agenda:
Register Now! Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn more about AI!
Proceeds from this event benefit the ARCS Foundation Scholar Awards Fund for University of California Irvine. ARCS Foundation advances science and technology in the United States by providing financial awards to academically outstanding students studying to complete degrees in science, engineering and medical research.
THE ARNOLD O. BECKMAN FAMILY STORY
A blacksmith’s son who turned his natural inquisitiveness into a career as one of the world’s leading inventors of scientific instruments, Dr. Arnold Beckman is a classic American success story. Dr. Beckman took what life gave him and through creativity and persistence, forged a better existence for himself and others. This desire to continually search for solutions eventually led him to the invention of the pH meter and the DU Spectrophotometer, devices that revolutionized analytical chemistry, and earned him a place in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. With his wife Mabel and daughter Patricia, the Beckman family has donated millions to academic research and medical facilities. Mabel died in 1989, Arnold in 2004, and Patricia in 2011 but the family legacy continues.
| # Table(s) for 8 (Name Recognition) | $1,800.00 |
| # Table(s) for 8 | $1,600.00 |
| # Tickets | $275.00 |
| Underwriting Opportunities | |
| Scholar's Dinner | $250.00 |
| Audiovisual Expenses | $200.00 |
| Wine | $300.00 |
| Table Decorations | $150.00 |
| Program Printing | $400.00 |
| Scholar Award Fund Donation | |
| Endowment Fund Donation |
