Caitlin Dawson
Caitlin Dawson writes for the Information Sciences Institute.
Stories by Caitlin Dawson:
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.
USC researchers use AI to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s
The work could help with earlier diagnosis and lead to non-invasive ways of tracking the progress of the disease in patients.
AI tool uses positive peer groups to fight substance abuse
Algorithm created by USC researchers leverages social networks to make the best use of substance abuse intervention groups for homeless youth.
Looking toward the sky, Trojans trace UFO sightings
Sci-fi film releases and weather patterns can affect the number of sightings, USC computer science students discover.
Armband developed at USC mimics a person’s touch
Computer scientist creates sleeve embedded with elements that simulate sensations. The device could be a therapeutic tool for people with anxiety.
Empowering women and minorities in science, tech and more
USC Price grad student moves from D.C. to L.A., where she pursues a degree in nonprofit leadership and management.
In Africa, visiting Trojan pursues computer science by day and traditional dance at night
Passions for dance and programming fused into a memorable adventure for a USC student in Botswana.
Football player turns in his cleats for computer science code
Yoofi Quansah fulfilled his dream of playing for the Trojans. As graduation nears, he’s looking toward life as an entrepreneur.