50th International Conference on Very Large Databases Guangzhou, China - August 26-30, 2024.

VLDB 2024: Panel

Vector Databases: What’s Really New and What’s Next?

Moderator:Jianguo Wang, Purdue University

Participants:
Abstract:

Vector databases have recently emerged as a hot topic in the field of databases, especially in industry. This is due to the widespread interest in Large Language Models (LLMs), where vector databases provide the relevant context for LLMs to produce more accurate responses. However, vector data is not new. It has been studied for more than two decades, leading to many efficient algorithms and indexes for vector similarity search. Thus, a natural question is: What is really new and what is next for vector databases? This panel will bring together several leading experts in vector databases to share their insights and experiences from various perspectives. The panel will also discuss the broader role of databases, beyond just vector databases, in the era of generative AI.

Data Science in LLM era

Moderator: Bingsheng He, National University of Singapore

Participants:
Abstract:

The rapid advancements in large language models (LLMs) have ushered in new frontiers in data science, offering unparalleled opportunities for innovation across various industries. However, these advancements also present significant challenges, particularly within data science systems, such as data integration, scalability, and system optimization. This panel, titled "Data Science Challenges and Opportunities in the LLM Era," convenes leading experts from academia and industry to explore the far-reaching implications of LLMs on data science. The discussion will center on the major challenges confronting the data management community, the opportunities to enhance data-driven processes, and the future trajectory of LLMs in large-scale data systems.

Half a Century of VLDB: A Celebration and Memories

Moderator: C. Mohan, Hong Kong Baptist University

Abstract:

The International Conference on Very Large Data Bases (VLDB) series started in Framingham (USA) in 1975. This year’s conference in Guangzhou (China) will be the 50th VLDB. To commemorate it, C. Mohan will host the session "Half a Century of VLDB: A Celebration and Memories" starting at 3:30 PM on 28 August 2024 (Wednesday) in Great Hall AB. Mohan is the organizer and the main speaker of this session. He will give a comprehensive presentation recalling the history and the evolution of the VLDB series of conferences, recollecting many nostalgic moments from past VLDBs, displaying numerous photos, and discussing the different VLDB Endowment activities. He will also conduct a VLDB Trivia Quiz! Mohan will be joined by other speakers, in particular former/current Presidents of the VLDB Endowment’s Board of Trustees Volker Markl and Divesh Srivastava. Video narrations by former VLDB trustees and organizers will also be shown during the session. Audience members will also be invited to narrate their VLDB recollections.

PhD mentoring panel: Insights from Early and Mid-Career Researchers

Moderator: Yuanyuan Tian, Microsoft

Participants: