Creating Human-Like Chatbots
ISI researchers explore how to advance AI toward more authentic interaction.
Making AI safe and fair
How ISI researchers are engaging in research, policy and thought leadership to guide AI toward positive futures.
USC Robotics Open House 2024 Inspires Next Generation Innovators
Experience the vibrant world of Trojan robotics through the eyes of 160 enthusiastic students
Solving The Space Dilemma
USC ISI researchers are building tools to solve safety problems in space operations, and creating test beds to simulate cyberattacks in space
Uncovering Hidden Authors with AI
USC ISI computer scientists are developing language technologies that could potentially identify who wrote anonymous text.
Removing the “Hell of Paperwork:” AI Helps Truckers, Manufacturers Come Together
Loop, a Chicago-based startup co-founded by USC Viterbi alumnus Matt McKinney, leverages AI to digitize shipment data, for the benefit of manufacturers and freight companies
USC and Capital One Establish New Center for Responsible AI in Finance
Housed under the USC School of Advanced Computing, the center aims to advance responsible AI for financial services
Unlocking the Road Ahead: Exploring the Challenges and Visions of Autonomous Vehicles
A Glimpse into the USC Center for Autonomy and AI’s Efforts
ISI Researchers Pioneer Developments In Protein Data Bank
ISI researchers are part of a core team developing the PDB-Dev repository, initiated by the Protein Data Bank, a foundational repository for macromolecular structures
USC Researchers are Developing AI-Enhanced Safety Inspections for Nuclear Waste
Researchers in the USC Sonny Astani Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering are tackling one of the most complex problems facing the U.S. Department of Energy: how to safely handle and store “spent” nuclear fuel.
Teaching robots to walk on the moon, and maybe rescue one another
USC, UPenn, Texas A&M, Oregon State, Georgia Tech, Temple University, and NASA Johnson Space Center are teaching dog-like robots to navigate craters of the moon and other challenging planetary surfaces in research funded by NASA.
Could Computer Science Aid the Next Jimi Hendrix?
With award-winning music education app ‘Notey’s World,’ Adithya Bellathur and a team of USC alumni seek to encourage new guitarists and musicians.
USC CREATE, Established in the Wake of 9/11, Announces its 20th Anniversary Symposium
The symposium, headlined by Michael Chertoff, former U.S. secretary of homeland security, highlights two decades of work in security, risk and economic analysis.
“I wish AI could surpass humans in empathy, it should be pretty easy”
EPISODE 19 | ISI’s Artificial Intelligence director, anthropologist Adam Russell, gets to know his researchers. This week: Casandra Rusti
From Biology to Batteries: Professor Krishna Garikipati is Changing the Way we Use AI to Predict Patterns
The USC Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering welcomes Professor Krishna Garikipati, a leader in the field of computational mechanics.
Inside ISI’s Ph.D. Visit Day 2024
Prospective graduate students traveled to ISI’s Marina Del Rey headquarters to experience the institute’s academic environment.
To “Howdy,” or Not to “Howdy,” That Is the Question
USC researchers explore the impact of prompt design on large language model performance.
“We need more social sciences experts in AI to focus on its human side”
EPISODE 18 | ISI’s Artificial Intelligence director, anthropologist Adam Russell, gets to know his researchers. This week: Shushan Arakelyan
How Online Echo Chambers Make Eating Disorders Worse
USC researchers uncover social media’s “vicious cycle” that traps vulnerable populations within pro-anorexia communities.
USC Research at AAAI 2024
From public health insights to busting bias in machine learning, discover USC researchers’ groundbreaking artificial intelligence work at AAAI 2024
USC Viterbi Announces Participation in Department of Commerce Consortium Dedicated to AI Safety
USC will be one of approximately 30 universities helping to advance the development and deployment of safe, trustworthy AI under a new U.S. Government Safety Institute
Could AI Help Us Prepare for the Next Pandemic?
Computer science doctoral student Elizabeth Ondula leverages AI to enhance pandemic response strategies
How to Build Your Own Robot Friend: Making AI Education More Accessible
USC researchers develop new open-source platform to help students build their own low-cost robot companion from scratch
Diversifying Data to Beat Bias in AI
USC researchers propose a novel approach to mitigate bias in machine learning model training
A voice in public policies
From biotech to misinformation, some of today’s biggest policy challenges are informed by researchers at ISI.
Does AI understand common sense?
ISI researchers dive deep into evaluating how well language models can reason about our everyday world.
AI Platform to Revolutionize the Discovery of the Materials of the Future
The $2 million NSF project will harness AI to generate new optimized superalloys for game-changing applications from aerospace to healthcare.
Looking Back on the Incredible Undertakings of AI4Health in 2023
The Center on AI Research for Health debuted projects on radiation oncology, neurodegenerative diseases and mental health
“I try to solve problems where we don’t have enough resources”
EPISODE 12 | ISI’s Artificial Intelligence director, anthropologist Adam Russell, gets to know his researchers. This week: Mozhdeh Gheini
AI/nsiders Podcast: Meet the Humans Behind the AI of ISI
ISI’s Artificial Intelligence director, anthropologist Adam Russell, gets to know his researchers in this weekly series.
Joshua Yang Secures Center of Excellence for Work on Neuromorphic Computing
USC will lead Air Force-funded Center that includes four other universities.
“We need diverse voices doing AI to serve a diverse population”
EPISODE 10 | ISI’s Artificial Intelligence director, anthropologist Adam Russell, gets to know his researchers. This week: Emmanuel Johnson
“Apply AI to problems you are passionate about”
EPISODE 9 | ISI’s Artificial Intelligence director, anthropologist Adam Russell, gets to know his researchers. This week: Abigail Horn
“If I could go back in time I would tell myself to learn Python much earlier”
EPISODE 8 | ISI’s Artificial Intelligence director, anthropologist Adam Russell, gets to know his researchers. This week: Joel Mathew
“If we blur the line between what is real and fake, everything is fake”
EPISODE 7 | ISI’s Artificial Intelligence director, anthropologist Adam Russell, gets to know his researchers. This week: Wael AbdAlmageed
Copy and Paste: New AI Tool Helps Computers Interpret the World
USC computer science researchers present new technique to “copy and paste” virtual 3D objects into real indoor scenes, improving how computers see and interpret the world
Once is enough: Helping robots learn quickly in new environments
A new algorithm developed by USC computer science researchers shows that robots can, in computer simulations, learn tasks after a single demonstration
New AI Algorithm Enables Advanced Real-Time Decoding for Neurotechnologies
Algorithm can enhance decoding accuracy of brain signals in real-time brain-computer interfaces.
From the USC Viterbi Magazine: Small Ally, Big Impact
How a little robot is helping students with ADHD symptoms find their focus.
USC @ EMNLP 2023
USC researchers present papers at EMNLP 2023, one of the world’s top natural language processing conferences.
AI can help journalists find diverse and original sources
ISI researchers are helping streamline reporters’ workflows with AI gadgets, including a source-recommendation engine.
“We don’t have evidence that genuine AI empathy is on the horizon”
EPISODE 6 | ISI’s Artificial Intelligence director, anthropologist Adam Russell, gets to know his researchers. This week: Katy Felkner
Cooling Down the Hot Takes on Twitch
USC computer scientists have developed a novel method of moderating toxic content on live-streaming platforms.
“Learn fundamental math: AI will always rely on it”
EPISODE 5 | ISI’s Artificial Intelligence director, anthropologist Adam Russell, gets to know his researchers. This week: Mahyar Khayatkhoei
“I want to make an impact by reducing misinformation”
EPISODE 4 ISI’s Artificial Intelligence director, anthropologist Adam Russell, gets to know his researchers. This week: Ashwin Shreyas
Too Close for Comfort: USC Viterbi Students Use AI to Prevent Aircraft Collisions
USC had two teams among top 10 finalists in national FAA Data Challenge 2023.
“AI is a tool but it might not be your best solution”
EPISODE 3 | ISI’s Artificial Intelligence director, anthropologist Adam Russell, gets to know his researchers. This week: Deborah Khider
New Robotic System Assesses Mobility After Stroke
A new robotic tool developed by a team of experts in computer science and biokinesiology could help stroke survivors more accurately track their recovery progress.
Materials Discovery to Enable Computers that Think More Like Humans
New USC Viterbi-led research has uncovered a novel semiconductor with an unusual material property that can enable energy-efficient computing hardware that functions like the human brain.
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Receives $700,000 Air Force Grant for GPU Cluster
New GPU cluster will allow the next generation of students and researchers to investigate the world of AI and machine learning as part of USC Frontiers of Computing initiative.
“A smarter way to organize the world around us”
EPISODE 2 | ISI’s Artificial Intelligence director, anthropologist Adam Russell, gets to know his researchers. Today: Gleb Satyukov
Making better robots for humans: USC at CORL 2023
USC computer science faculty and students present their latest work in the field of human-robot interaction.
Finding Answers (About the Best Way to Find Answers)
USC computer scientists evaluate data representation methods for a number of applications.
Hangbo Zhao Receives Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program Award
The highly competitive program supports outstanding early career researchers developing innovative solutions to challenges faced by the Navy and Marine Corps.
“AI can be good for low stakes issues”
EPISODE 1 | ISI’s Artificial Intelligence director, anthropologist Adam Russell, gets to know his researchers. This week: Keith Burghardt
Beneath the Waves
Rusty Jehangir empowers thousands to pursue underwater robotics and exploration with startup Blue Robotics
The Evolution of Cities: AI Helps Map Madrid and More
A USC computer scientist presents data to understand the changing nature of cities and plan sustainable cities of the future.
Trojan Trio Make Waves at Google DeepMind
USC computer science alumni worked on Google’s “first-of-its-kind” robot AI model, the Robotic Transformer 2 (RT-2)
Mahdi Soltanolkotabi Receives NIH Director’s New Innovator Award for Reliable AI for MRI
$2.4 million grant will be used to develop new AI-powered algorithms that could lessen the need for higher-strength MRI machines and correct for various imaging artifacts.
Advanced Computing in Civil and Environmental Engineering
In teaching and research, advanced computational methods are essential for achieving the strategic vision at Sonny Astani Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE)
USC at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)
USC researchers present 14 papers at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), showcasing leading-edge research in robotics.
Paul Bogdan joins team researching nanotechnology for NSF-funded center
The UMich-led Center for Complex Particle Systems (COMPASS), one of four new Science and Technology Centers, will look to nature for inspiration on particles.
Designing an Engine Ready for Hydrogen Combustion
The U.S. Department of Energy is supporting a major USC research initiative to advance the next stage of the clean energy revolution.
Origami-Inspired Strain Sensors for Stretchable Soft Robotics
USC researchers have developed an innovative solution to measure the motion of soft components in robotics.
ISI Ph.D. Students Connect Academic Learning with Summer Internships
ISI Ph.D. students spent their summers gaining practical experience and building professional networks at major tech companies.
A Smarter Approach to Answer Financial Questions
USC Information Sciences Institute researchers apply a case-based reasoning approach using relevant examples to help answer financial questions.
Causal Effects: Distinguishing Correlation from Causation
USC Information Sciences Institute researchers grapple with hidden variables in cause-and-effect studies to make better-informed decisions.
Building Better Models Starts With Reexamining the Metrics
USC computer scientists present a better way to measure the performance of generative AI models at the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML).
Predicting the Future, Starting With Billiard Balls and Car Collisions
An ISI team identifies limitations in dynamics prediction and proposes a solution.
Maryam Shanechi Named Blavatnik National Awards Finalist
She was recognized for her “pioneering brain-machine interfaces that can model, decode, and control complex neural activity patterns by the intersection of engineering, computing, and neuroscience”
USC at the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML)
USC researchers will present nine papers at the 40th International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML 2023), the leading international conference on machine learning
AI That Teaches Other AI
A new USC study finds that by sharing knowledge with each other at the same time, AI agents can quickly learn a wider range of tasks, with applications in medicine and beyond.
ISI at ACL ’23: Learning from Games, Mitigating Anti-LGBTQ+ Bias and Searching Events in Hundreds of Languages
USC’s Information Science Institute (ISI) brings a host of research to the conference – from dialogue models to machine learning to semantic understanding and more.
Dungeons & Dragons: Leading the Conversation through Intents and Theory-of-Mind
Researchers dive into the study of teacher-student natural language interactions to achieve a shared goal in the fantasy world game, Dungeons & Dragons.
Unbiased Medical Devices for All
Yasser Khan wins a prestigious Google Research Scholar Award for racial bias correction in a medical device that measures oxygen levels
Codenames Duet: Predicting the Next Guess Based on Cultural Background
USC Information Sciences Institute researchers dive into the nuances of human behavior and how cultural markers affect decision-making.
Understanding Global Events in Every Language
USC researchers have developed a novel AI technique to pull information from vast amounts of globally sourced text.
This Chatbot Sounds Familiar
USC researchers have proposed a novel method to give personalities to language models.
Adam Russell to Lead USC Information Sciences Institute’s Artificial Intelligence Division
Russell sees AI from an anthropologist’s perspective – looking at human behavior in an era of machines, with an expertise in collective intelligence and cross-disciplinary thinking.
Will Generative AI Become the Weapon of Choice for Fraudsters?
A panel for Los Angeles Tech Week discussed issues, opportunities and solutions surrounding generative AI in the cybersecurity world.
USC at the Robotics: Science and Systems (RSS) Conference
USC researchers will present four papers on topics including scalable robot data collection, simulating complex materials and transferring assembly tasks from simulation to reality.
USC Computer Science Students Awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowships
Emily Nguyen and James Flemings were recognized for their contributions to deep generative models focusing on wildfire prevention and privacy in machine learning.
Tackling Cosmic Radiation in Next-Gen Space Computing
Researchers at USC Information Sciences Institute are developing ways to protect future hardware from the effects of space.
To the Ends of the Earth: Bringing the Bible to Languages Never Before Reached
Researchers at the Information Sciences Institute are developing technology that helps to streamline Bible translation.
Radical Signals: Looking for Signs of QAnon Radicalization on Twitter
A team of USC researchers propose a better way to model conspiracy theories on Twitter.
The Internet Has a Dark Side – Can We Teach Machines How To Identify It?
ISI researchers are developing technology that can detect logical fallacies in AI and classify hate speech in internet memes
Putting the Rational Thinking Skills of Language Models to the Test
Can language models be trusted to reason like humans do? Are they good at making decisions? These researchers set off to find out.
Are You More Vaccine Hesitant Than A 57-Year-Old?
Researchers at USC Information Sciences Institute used machine learning and deep statistical analysis to look for answers about vaccine hesitancy.
Advancing Computer Vision One Pixel at a Time
USC Viterbi researchers propose a novel framework to address challenges in computer vision.
Two Graduating Seniors in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Receive NSF Graduate Research Fellowships
Both students are among the first cohort of the Ming Hsieh Institute Undergraduate Scholars program.
Powered by Algorithms – and Jazz
Graduating Ph.D. student Lillian Clark’s dissertation explores how to improve robot communication in remote environments. Her study of jazz helped her think on her feet.
Chris Birmingham, The Robot Whisperer
Inspired by his own health crisis, graduating computer science PhD student develops empathetic robots for therapy
Can AI Teach Your Child Perseverance?
Postdoc Scholar Emmanuel Johnson is part of a team receiving a $20M National Science Foundation grant to research AI-augmented learning.
AI for Good: ShowCAIS Event Highlights the Power of AI to Make a Difference
USC CAIS researchers from seven USC schools come together to solve the world’s most pressing problems using AI.
Two USC Computer Science Juniors Awarded Goldwater Scholarships
Juniors Jordan Cahoon and Allen Chang were recognized for their research in, and beyond, computer science.
The Top Six GIFs from USC Robotics Open House 2023
At the event, the first in-person since 2019, five local L.A. schools were able to visit five different USC Viterbi robotics labs.
New Twitter, Now With More Hate
A USC computer scientist and his team have found that in less than six months, hate speech has significantly increased on Twitter.
Maja Matarić, Pioneer of “Robots That Care,” Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
USC Viterbi computer scientist joins luminaries such as Emmanuelle Charpentier and Lin-Manuel Miranda among 2023 members.
Sustainability in Space: Giving Old Satellites New Jobs
Researchers have completed Phase One of a U.S. Space Force project looking at the feasibility of updating software on orbiting satellites.
Her Body May Feel Weak, But This Trojan CEO is Fighting On for Brain Health
No June gloom: Alumna Samantha Scott’s start-up, JuneBrain, seeks to deliver the tele-health services she once desired for herself.
Using AI to Diagnose COPD In One Minute with 98.5% Accuracy
Paul Bogdan has developed a new and improved method to detect chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for early diagnosis and better treatment
Let’s Make a Deal: How Emotion-Aware AI Agents Help Negotiations
USC Viterbi Ph.D. student Kushal Chawla teaches AI how to negotiate with emotional awareness
The Quiet Revolution of AI on the Edge
AI is running on mobile phones, sensors, and home appliances thanks to the engineering innovations that make the most of the limited memory, reduced computational power, and little energy available in these devices.
Assad Oberai Honored as 2022 Fellow of the American Academy of Mechanics
Assad Oberai applies computation and data-driven modelling to solve some of the toughest questions in science and engineering.
Autonomously Debugging Video Games
Computer science researchers create software that “learns” how to play a video game and fields it for glitches.
Robots Predict Human Intention for Faster Builds
In a new paper, USC computer science researchers “teach” robots how to predict human preferences in assembly tasks.
New Chip Design to Provide Greatest Precision in Memory to Date
Will enable powerful AI in your portable devices.
Smart(er) Cameras, A New Vision for the Future
USC Viterbi researchers partner with Samsung to develop energy saving, “self healing cameras.”
The Perfect Stitch: Training for Surgery Using AI
Computer scientists and clinicians are designing AI solutions to improve surgical training and create better patient outcomes.
Teaching Robots to Perform Tasks Like Humans
USC computer science study addresses key challenge of teaching machines to perform tasks in realistic environments
Computer Science PhD student Named Apple Scholar
Xisen Jin selected for his work in speech and natural language processing
USC Alumni Paved Path for ChatGPT
From “eureka moment” to deployment, USC Viterbi alumni played a key role in the creation of ChatGPT
Educating Armenia’s Best and Brightest
USC Viterbi collaborates with the National Polytechnic University of Armenia to offer an online program to select engineering students in Armenia
Making a Computer Observe Like a Human
USC ISI Research team combines multiple types of machine learning techniques to improve how a program can identify people and things
ChatGPT: USC Experts Break Down What You Need to Know
USC computer science experts share their perspectives on the meteoric rise of generative AI application ChatGPT
ISI Names Two New Fellows
Researchers Ewa Deelman and Yolanda Gil have received USC Viterbi’s Information Sciences Institute’s highest honor.
USC Wins DARPA Map Feature Extraction Challenge
A joint team between USC Viterbi Information Sciences Institute and the University of Minnesota won first place in part of the DARPA AI for Critical Mineral Assessment Competition
Operation Pangolin Launches to Save World’s Most Trafficked Wild Mammal
Bistra Dilkina joins a global team addressing pangolin poaching and trafficking
How Old Is Your Brain? Ask All The Hospitals
Researchers at USC’s Information Sciences Institute are proposing an artificial intelligence system that addresses several of the machine learning challenges in the medical space.
Robot Tutors Read Children’s Emotions As They Learn
Bored? Frustrated? Tired? New AI models could help robots read emotions and provide more personalized feedback.
Training Algorithms To Make Fair Decisions Using Private Data
USC Viterbi researchers have developed a fairness enhancing algorithm that also keeps data secure.
Machines, Are They Smarter Than a Six-Year-Old?
Researchers at USC Viterbi’s Information Sciences Institute are developing an algorithm that teaches machines to learn without human supervision.
USC Researchers Present 12 Papers at AAAI
USC researchers present 12 papers, and received a AAAI Classic Paper Award, at this leading venue for machine learning research
Using Robots to Fight Toxic Algae
USC computer scientists and biologists have teamed up to tackle harmful algae blooms using “smart” robots
Streamlining Learning Curves in the Workplace with Machine Learning
ISI’s KNIC program works to build AI that can help new employees kick start their new jobs more efficiently