Structured Probabilistic Inference and Generative Modeling

The workshop focuses on theory, methodology, and application of structured probabilistic inference and generative modeling, both of which are important topics in machine learning.Specifically, probabilistic inference addresses the problem of amortization,sampling, and integration of complex quantities from graphical models, while generative modeling captures the underlying probability distributions of a dataset. Apart from applications in computer vision, natural language processing, and speech recognition, probabilistic inference and generative modeling approaches have also been widely used in natural science domains, including physics, chemistry, molecular biology, and medicine. Beyond applications in these domains, the span of tasks of the methods have been expanding beyond probabilistic inference and generative model such as optimal control, decision making, sampling, optimization, etc.Despite the promising results, probabilistic methods face challenges when applied to highly structured data, which are ubiquitous in real-world settings, limiting the applications of such methods. This workshop aims to bring experts from diverse backgrounds and related domains together to discuss the applications and challenges of probabilistic methods. The workshop will emphasize challenges in encoding domain knowledge when learning representations, performing inference and generations. By bringing together experts from academia and industry, the workshop will provide a platform for researchers to share their latest results and ideas, fostering collaboration and discussion in the field of probabilistic methods.