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Clarivate's Highly Cited Researcher, Dr Li Xiaoli, continues to break new ground in computer science with his research in AI, data mining and machine learning.

“The environment shapes the child”—the adage holds especially true for Dr Li Xiaoli, a veteran researcher at A*STAR Institute of Infocomm Research (A*STAR I²R). As the youngest son of two university professors, Dr Li grew up in a family dedicated to and deeply supportive of the pursuit of knowledge and learning.

Citing them as his earliest influencers, he said, “Like many Asian parents, mine aspired that their children pursue higher education and use that knowledge to benefit society.”

As a student, Dr Li excelled in mathematics in school and chose to major in computer science at university. Reflecting on his early experiences, he shared, “My first encounter with computers was at the university where my parents worked. It was the early days of IBM, and I was fascinated with how I could use the computer for so many things – listening to music, playing games or solving puzzles. It was like magic to me.”

As a budding computer scientist, he quickly recognised the vast potential applications of computers in industries and everyday life. This curiosity led him to delve deeper into areas like artificial intelligence (AI), data mining, machine learning and bioinformatics.

Pointing to their applications across industries as diverse as manufacturing, aerospace and semiconductor, Dr Li emphasised, “AI has the ability to analyse patterns and predict machine failures even before they occur by leveraging historical data collected. This is especially crucial in industries like aerospace, where monitoring critical components and assessing aircraft health are essential for safety and reliability.”

Dr Li and his I²R team members

Today, Dr Li is the Department Head and Senior Principal Scientist of Machine Intellection at A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research (A*STAR I²R), and is also extensively involved in various industry and national initiatives. He holds a technical director position at the AI Centre of Excellence for Manufacturing (AIMfg). He also serves as a member of Information Technology Standards Committee (ITSC) from IMDA, a health innovation expert panel member for the Ministry of Health (MOH), and an expert panel member for the Ministry of Education (MOE). He is also responsible for helping to develop Singapore’s National AI strategy as an AI advisor for the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO).

Seeing your younger colleagues come up with new ideas and witness their growth is very exciting and fulfilling. At the same time, I also learn from them, so it is really about mutual influence and collaboration.