AI graduate is third generation of his family to study at Heriot-Watt University
An artificial intelligence student graduating today (Wed 19 June) is the third generation of his family to study at Heriot-Watt University.
Angus Addlesee, 30, has followed his father, Robert, and grandfather, Jack, to the University’s Edinburgh Campus, where he graduates today with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in AI.
Angus’s brother Harry, 23, is also currently studying a Master of Science (MSc) degree in AI at Heriot-Watt University.
“My late granddad graduated from Heriot-Watt in 1973 with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering,” Angus explains. “He was also a senior lecturer at the University for 33 years, ten of them as the Deputy Head of Mechanical Engineering. My dad did an MSc in Structural Engineering at Heriot-Watt and graduated in 1994. He told me some great stories about the campus and his time here. My brother is actually doing his MSc at Heriot-Watt too, so there are two third-generation family members at the University right now. My granddad and dad clearly sold the experience to us!”
Angus was born in Edinburgh, but raised near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, where the family now lives. He first came to Heriot-Watt as an undergraduate in 2012 to study a four-year Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Mathematics degree. After a spell in industry, he returned to complete a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence, which he studied over two years.
For the last six years, his PhD research at the University’s School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences has been focused on conversational artificial intelligence – the simulation of human conversation – and specifically, improving this technology for people with dementia.
“I’ve spent the past few years trying to adapt voice assistants like Alexa or Siri to be more accessible for people with dementia,” Angus explains.
“We had a family member with dementia and I could see that voice assistants were a really useful tool for people, for example to help them play music more easily. My research has specifically focused on how to improve voice assistants when things go wrong, for example, speech changes causing miscommunication.”
Research has been wonderful, but I am excited to implement some of what I have learned.
His research has helped Angus land a highly sought-after job as an applied scientist with the Amazon Alexa research and development team at the Amazon Cambridge Development Center.
“Research has been wonderful, but I am excited to implement some of what I have learned, and hopefully improve Alexa, to make a difference to something people really use,” Angus says.
After 12 years of studying and research at Heriot-Watt University, Angus is also excited to be graduating, and will be joined on the big day by his father and brother.
“It’s a good feeling,” he says. “I still remember moving to the campus in my first year. It’s a beautiful spot, filled with students from around the world. It's been really a great experience and I think I'm a better scientist for it. And now I get to go and do my science in industry. So, yes, I'm definitely excited.”