CNI CONNECT

Monthly Newsletter from CNI

Issue - July 2026

This month CNI looks forward to SPARC workshop on Distributed Learning and Optimization and the 6th CNI Summer School 2026.

SPARC Workshop on Distributed Learning and Optimization

The Centre for Networked Intelligence (CNI) is organizing a SPARC Workshop, a one-day workshop to be held on 13 July, featuring technical talks by researchers from IITs, IISc, Rutgers University, and Google DeepMind, focusing on recent advances in distributed learning, optimization, and related areas.

The workshop offers an opportunity to engage with experts, exchange ideas, and connect with the broader research community. Further details are available on the CNI workshop webpage.

Online Self-Study Course Content

Research Spotlight

Highlights from Recent Talks

Memory Efficient Information Retrieval and AI Inference

Prof. Narasimha Reddy discussed the growing memory demands of information retrieval systems and large language models. He presented practical approaches to make AI inference more efficient by combining system-level optimizations with algorithmic techniques, demonstrating how thoughtful co-design can reduce both memory usage and computational costs without compromising performance.

Structured Reinforcement Learning in NextG Cellular Networks

Prof. Srinivas Shakkottai spoke about bringing reinforcement learning into real-time control of next-generation cellular networks. By combining AI with structured decision-making, he demonstrated how wireless networks can respond more quickly to changing demands while improving performance for applications such as media streaming and other latency-sensitive services.

Planning Decisions Under Uncertainty: A Data-driven Approach

Prof. Natarajan Gautam discussed how better decisions can be made when key information is uncertain or incomplete. Through examples ranging from bike-sharing and restaurant bookings to air traffic management, he showed how data-driven methods can improve planning by going beyond conventional estimation and optimization approaches.

Phase Transition in the 2-Choices Opinion Dynamics under Stochastic Node Failures

Prof. Arpan Mukhopadhyay talked about how groups reach consensus when some participants make random or unreliable decisions. His talk showed that collective decision-making remains remarkably robust up to a critical level of failures, offering new insights into the resilience of distributed systems and networked algorithms.

Join the CNI Team!

As our research expands, so does our team.

CNI is inviting applications for the following openings in the Distributed Systems Lab:

1. Research Associate: For experienced professionals and fresh graduates planning to get into systems research.

2. Research Intern: For students who are interested in experimental research in systems/networks while pursuing their studies.

More details at the CNI opportunities page.