Rethinking Research in the Age of LLMs
By Professor Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi
Join us for a compelling seminar led by Professor Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi, Vice President (Research & Innovation) at King’s College London.
Abstract:
Large Language Models (LLMs) are evolving at an unprecedented pace, bringing powerful capabilities into the hands of researchers. These Generative AI (GAI) systems are reshaping how research is conceived, conducted, and communicated.
In this talk, Professor Al-Hashimi will explore how current and emerging LLMs influence every stage of the research process — from formulating research questions and conducting literature reviews to developing hypotheses, executing studies, and communicating results.
Key points of discussion will include:
- The role of LLMs as research assistants, collaborative partners, and peer reviewers.
Strategies for reimagining the research workflow to accelerate scientific discovery and improve efficiency. - The importance of domain expertise, human critical thinking, and intellectual ability in the research lifecycle.
- Challenges such as data integrity, algorithmic bias, and ethical considerations that must be proactively addressed.
This seminar aims to stimulate dialogue, challenge assumptions, and inspire new ways of thinking about the future of research and training in the age of AI.
Bio:
Professor Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi is the Vice-President for Research & Innovation and the Arm Professor of Computer Engineering at King’s College London. He is renowned for his pioneering contributions to advanced semiconductor chip testing, energy-efficient, and energy-harvesting computing. His research has had a global impact in both academia and industry, driving hardware and software innovations in mobile digital devices, including mobile phones.
In 2007, he founded the Arm-Southampton Research Centre, one of the U.K.’s most successful industry-academia collaborations. Since its inception, he led its technical team until April 2020, when he moved to King’s College London. The Centre has engaged over 100 academics and industrial researchers, producing significant commercial impact, including 14 patents, seven technology demonstrators, and 15 co-supervised Ph.D. graduates, many of whom now hold senior roles at Arm. Additionally, Sir Bashir has founded, with his students, three spinout companies to commercialise research outputs. In recognition of his research and impact, he was elected a Fellow of the UK Royal Academy of Engineering in 2013 and a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2023. He has received numerous international accolades, including the prestigious IET Faraday Medal in 2020.
Sir Bashir is an experienced academic leader, highly influential in both U.K. and international higher education. He has been a member of the King’s College London Senior Leadership Team since 2023 and previously served on the University of Southampton Executive Board (2014–2020). From 2020 to 2022, he was the Executive Dean of Engineering and Physical Sciences at King’s College London. He was knighted in the 2025 King’s New Year Honours for services to engineering and education, having previously been awarded a CBE in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to engineering and industry. Sir Bashir has also played a key role in shaping U.K. research policy, serving on two Research Excellence Framework (REF) engineering panels (REF2014 and REF2021). He has contributed to government consultations on research, innovation, and education through his active involvement in the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering, where he was an elected Trustee Board member until September 2024 and chaired the Academy’s Awards Committee until 2023.