Dr. Patrick Haffner has worked on machine learning algorithms since 1988. With Yann LeCun, he was one of the pioneers in applying Neural Networks to speech and image recognition, and led the deployment of the first NN used for an automation task (check reading). With AT&T Labs Research, he was an expert in the learning algorithms that enable data engineers to efficiently train machines using real world data, for tasks ranging from language understanding to network monitoring. He was also an expert advisor to the European Union for their funding programs on machine learning and cognitive sciences. Dr. Haffner is a Lead Inventive Scientist at Interactions with responsibility for managing the ever increasing variety of machine learning techniques and software that an AI-driven company needs to use.