Caitlin Dawson
Caitlin Dawson writes for the Information Sciences Institute.
Stories by Caitlin Dawson:
Robots may someday learn how to drive by watching us behind the wheel
USC researchers have developed a method that could allow robots to learn new tasks, like setting a table or driving a car, from observing a small number of demonstrations.
Could your tech devices have emotional intelligence, too?
New computer science alumna Shreya Gupta hopes to bring humanity to deep learning by developing empathetic robots that can attune to your emotions.
Student develops AI tools to tackle hate speech and hate crimes
As AI makes its way into more areas of our lives, rooting out implicit bias is more crucial than ever, says computer science student Aida Mostafazadeh Davani.
Student group showcases AI projects for social good
As the student branch of the USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society, CAIS++ members reinforce AI’s role in helping to solve societal problems.
Student-developed app will help refugees learn skills for life after asylum
In order to bring much-needed educational opportunities to people displaced by war, a team of USC Viterbi students turned to technology.
Improved hate speech detection uses context to reduce racial bias
New USC research aims to reduce algorithmic errors in flagging hate speech on social media.
Socially assistive robot helps children with autism learn
USC researchers developed personalized learning robots for children with autism and studied whether the robots could autonomously gauge the child’s engagement in long-term, in-home therapeutic interventions.
USC team develops coronavirus tracking app that will put privacy first
By anonymously tracking the spread of COVID-19 through contact tracing, an app under development at USC Viterbi could help people get back to their daily lives.
USC researchers analyze false coronavirus claims on Twitter
The USC Viterbi team studied more than 5 million tweets to better understand how and why information — and misinformation — spreads during a pandemic.
More robust drones are teaching themselves how to fly
A new artificially intelligent control system designed by USC researchers enables drones to recover after colliding with objects — and to learn from the experience.
Rising sea levels could force millions of Americans to inland cities
A new USC Viterbi study projecting climate change-driven migration has found that 13 million people could be forced to relocate inland by 2100.
How harmful is air pollution to developing brains? New study will assess its effects
A wristband-app combination — developed by USC Viterbi and the Keck School of Medicine of USC — will monitor prenatal exposure to harmful gases and suggest strategies to keep newborn brains safe.
To help robots learn, give them a human adversary
According to a team of USC computer scientists, showing robots “tough love” can help them succeed at new tasks.
How does music affect our brains? USC researchers use AI to investigate
A team of computer scientists and psychologists teamed up to investigate how listening to music impacts how we act, feel and think.
Student club believes artificial intelligence can solve societal problems
At the student branch of USC’s Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society, undergraduates are using AI to tackle projects with environmental and social impact.
Through special effects and MRI scans, scientists develop realistic virtual human hand
Due to their complex musculoskeletal systems, animating human hands has been one of the biggest challenges in computer graphics. Now, a team of USC researchers has cracked the code.
What do the next 20 years hold for artificial intelligence?
Yolanda Gil, USC Viterbi professor and president of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, discusses what it will take to move AI forward without moving safety backward.
Hip-hop or country? USC student’s AI tool analyzes ‘Old Town Road’
According to a PhD student’s artificial intelligence tool that analyzes lyrics and chords, Lil Nas X’s record-setting hit really does cross genres.
Is a testifying child telling the truth? This USC student’s research could help courts predict
USC Viterbi student Zane Durante is developing natural language processing techniques to identify truthful or deceptive speech in child forensic interviews.
USC researcher builds tools to battle AI bias
Biases in machine learning algorithms can produce serious consequences: people can be denied health services, wrongly targeted for crimes or turned away for jobs. PhD student Hsien-Te Kao wants to find a solution.
Why do certain innovative ideas succeed? The answer may be hidden in millions of documents
A two-year project, funded by the National Science Foundation, brings USC and Stanford researchers together to comb through mountains of text data and determine what fuels new concepts that last.
To make self-driving cars safer, researchers test what they ‘see’
A new USC study looks to soothe fears over self-driving cars by identifying errors in their perception algorithms before they hit the road.
Satellite built by USC students ready for launch
It’s the third time USC has built and delivered a miniature satellite, or CubeSat, for space.
How a USC artificial intelligence expert is saving endangered species, one algorithm at a time
Bistra Dilkina and her graduate students help to address environmental needs, from predicting where poachers are likely to strike to designing wildlife reserves and preventing the spread of invasive species.