Professor Steven Li is a full professor with the Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management at Western New England University, Springfield, MA, USA. His research expertise includes AI/ML, data analytics, reliability/resilience engineering, and the trustworthiness and security of agentic AI. He earned his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Washington. Prof. Li currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Reliability, the flagship journal of the IEEE Reliability Society. Prof. Li served as the president of IEEE Reliability Society 2022-2024. He is the President-Elect of IEEE Systems Council 2026.

Talk Title: How Much Confidence Do We Have for GenAI-Based Reasoning – A Perspective from Reliability Inference
Topics and keywords: AI, GenAI, Trust of AI reasoning, AI confidence assessment, High-impact decision making

Abstract: This talk discusses the trust and confidence of using GenAI-based models in quantitative reliability reasoning. Using synthetic datasets generated from classic reliability models, we design multiple experimental factors, including sample sizes, prompts, and various AI models (Claude, DeepSeek, Gemini, ChatGPT, and xAI) to examine how various factors affect the accuracy in reliability estimations. The confidence levels and robustness of each AI model’s performance are assessed through a factorial experimental design framework, and it is interesting to observe the estimates of unknown parameters under the classic Weibull reliability model do not converge over increasing sample size as what is commonly observed in the traditional statistics-based reliability inference. We also observe that ChatGPT and Deepseek perform the best in reliability estimation compared with other AI models. ChatGPT and Deepseek also show robustness in predicting reliability regardless of the types of prompts being used. The findings shed light on the reliability and confidence of using GenAI models for inferential reliability predictions and reasoning.
Desired Learning Outcomes from the talk
• Applications of GenAI in new product design for performance and reliability improvement;
• Implications of using GenAI in real-life engineering and product design process;
• Trust and confidence of GenAI reasoning in general

Francesco Di Maio (M.Sc. in Nuclear Engineering, 2006, Politecnico di Milano; Double EU-China PhD in Nuclear Engineering, 2010, Politecnico di Milano and Tsinghua University) is Full Professor in Nuclear Power Plants and Chair of the PhD Programme in Energy and Nuclear Science and Technology at Politecnico di Milano, Italy. His research aims at studying, developing and applying efficient artificial intelligence methods and data mining techniques for addressing a number of open issues relevant for risk and resilience analysis of complex safety-critical systems and infrastructures. In 2009-2010 he has been Research Fellow of the Science and Technology Programme (STFP) in China, financed by the European Commission, hosted by Tsinghua University (Beijing, China). In 2010, he has been appointed as Senior Researcher in City University of Hong Kong. He is an active reviewer for more than 10 scientific international peer-reviewed journals and has been Associate Editor of the International Journal of Performability Engineering (2011-2015). Since 2018, he is Associate Editor of the Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part O: Journal of Risk and Reliability He has published more than 250 papers in peer-reviewed international journals and conferences. He is General Secretary of the European Safety and Reliability Association (ESRA) and Co-Chair of the ESRA Technical Commitee on Nuclear Industry.

Shaoping Wang is “Cheung Kong Scholar” Chair professor of Beihang University. She is also the winner of China Youth Science and Technology Award, winner of Education Ministry New Century Excellent Talents Support Plan, Excellent talents of Ministry of Industry and Information, winner of Excellent Female Medal of Beijing and Beijing Innovative Star. She got PhD degree, Master degree and Bachelor degree in 1994, 1991 and 1988 respectively. Her research interests are in the area of fault diagnosis and health management, reliability and fault tolerant control, fluid power transmission and control, mechatronic control and simulation, design and optimization of mechatronic system, and product life-cycle management. She is the associate chair of Mechanical and Electrical Branch of China Aerospace Society, executive member of Fluid Power Transmission and Control Branch of China Mechanical Society. She is the associate chief editor of Journal of Aeronautics and Beihang University Journal. She published 6 books, around 300 papers, and 50 Granted patents. She gains National Second Prize for innovation, National Second Prize of the Scientific and technological Progress and 18 Ministerial Awards for Scientific and Technological Progress. She also got the national Second Prize on Education and 3 Beijing Prize on Education.

王少萍，女，1966年生。教育部“长江学者特聘教授”，中国青年科技奖获得者、首批教育部新世纪优秀人才、工信先锋、北京市“三八”红旗奖章获得者、北京市高校优秀共产党员、北京市巾帼创新之星和北京市优秀青年骨干教师。分别于1988年、1991年和1994年获得北京航空航天大学机械电子工程专业学士、硕士和博士学位。1994年博士毕业后留校任教，现任北京航空航天大学自动化科学与电气工程学院教授、博士生导师。 近年来，致力于机电控制、故障诊断、健康管理、可靠性与医工交叉的基础和应用研究，探索机电系统和飞行控制系统的高可靠性服役理论、基于性能退化的动态可靠性理论、变综合应力加速寿命试验理论、人体功能重建与大数据精准医疗等理论与关键技术。出版著作4本、译著1本，Springer著作 1本，Elsevier著作1本，发表学术论文300余篇，SCI检索90余篇，EI检索220余篇。获得国家发明二等奖1项、国家科技进步二等奖1项、省部级科技进步奖16项，获得国家教学成果二等奖1项、北京市教学成果奖3项，获得授权专利40余项、受理25项、软件著作权10项。

Dr. Bin Wang is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI), Italy, and an Assistant Researcher at Wuhan University of Technology (WHUT), China. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Marine Engineering from WHUT in 2018, 2021, and 2024, respectively.
His research expertise spans soft sensors and virtual sensing, fault-tolerant control, and intelligent operation and maintenance, with specialized applications in marine power systems, dredging engineering, and deep-sea mining technology.
Dr. Wang has a proven track record of leading and contributing to more than 10 prestigious research initiatives. This includes his current POLIMI MSCA-PF Seal of Excellence Fellowship and the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation. His extensive research portfolio also features participation in Major and Key Programs of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, as well as R&D projects for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Transport.
He has authored more than 20 papers in high-quality journals, such as Reliability Engineering & System Safety, Ocean Engineering, and Advanced Engineering Informatics. His academic excellence has been recognized with the Youth Expert Award from the China Dredging Association (2025) and the Hubei Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award (2024). Additionally, he serves as a regular reviewer for numerous leading international journals.