KCBS-TV: Meet A Robotics Engineer
Stefanos Nikolaidis was featured on the CBS STEAM series for developing robotics for people who have disabilities
Read More
Department of Computer Science
Media Coverage
Read More
The Wall Street Journal: Facebook Algorithm Shows Gender Bias in Job Ads, Study Finds
The Wall Street Journal featured research by Aleksandra Korolova and John Heidemann, along with doctoral student, Basileal Imana, on how Facebook serves different job ads to men and women.
Read More
KPCC: A Totally Bananas Idea? Planting Tropical Fruit Trees To Help Fight CA Wildfires
Barath Raghavan’s work in computational agroecology to fight CA wildfires was featured
Read More
The Register : While text-generating AI can write like humans, it lacks common sense
AI software may be able to generate text that is grammatically correct and very human-like, but when it comes to common sense they’re still lagging severely behind us humans.
Read More
ACM: 2020 ACM Fellows Recognized for Work that Underpins Today’s Computing Innovations
Maja Matarić, Sven Koenig and Mike Zyda were recognized for “innovations that ushered in significant improvements across many areas of technology, industry and personal life”
Read More
KNBC: Tracking LA County’s COVID-19 Cases
Cyrus Shahabi was interviewed about California’s new contact tracing app.
Read More
Wall Street Journal: What Makes People Abuse Robots
Maja Mataric was quoted as to why people may mistreat robots.
Read More
New York Times: Tracking Viral Misinformation About the 2020 Election
Research by Emilio Ferrara found that during the 2020 Election season 13 percent of all accounts tweeting about conspiracy theories were automated.
Read More
Nature: The next-generation bots interfering with the US election
Research by Emilio Ferrara on how bots were influencing discussions around the upcoming election was featured.
Read More
Venture Beat: Study identifies thousands of Twitter bots amplifying conspiracy theories ahead of the U.S. elections
Research by Emilio Ferrara on how bots are once again influencing discussions around the 2020 election was featured
Read More
STAT News: When AI is the Opposite of Sinister
STAT quoted Yolanda Gil on a new award that recognizes the positive impact of artificial intelligence.
Read More
Pasadena Star-News: Digital Contact Tracing Stalls Out Nationwide
Pasadena Star-News quoted Cyrus Shahabi regarding the concerns around contact tracing apps.
Read More
CNN: Wildfire-weary Californians, ‘tired of this being normal”
CNN featured Bistra Dilkina on how people may consider moving due to the impacts of climate change.
Read More
USC: Election 2020 Chatter on Twitter Busy with Bots and Conspiracy Theorists
New USC study finds that automated accounts and foreign interference are infesting social media conversations about the upcoming election.
Read More
Bloomberg: Alexander Spangher Wins Bloomberg Data Science PhD Fellowship
Spangher, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Computer Science at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, will use the fellowship to further his work in NLP and computational journalism.
Read More
ABC News: LA arson fires increasing amid COVID-19 pandemic
KABC-TV featured research by Crosstown, a collaboration between Viterbi and Annenberg, which found that arson fires in Los Angeles are on the rise.
Read More
Fox 11: School district halts distance learning after ransomware attack
KTTV-TV interviewed Cliff Neuman regarding a ransomware attack affected a school district.
Read More
CNN: Wildfire-weary Californians, ‘tired of this being normal,’ consider uprooting their lives
Computer Science Professor Bistra Dilkina, who has modeled migration patterns from sea-level rise, discusses climate-driven pressures as wildfires devastate the West Coast.
Read More
Venture Beat : AI Tool Can Plan Collision-Free Paths for 1,000 Warehouse Robots
USC computer science researchers and Amazon Robotics explored a solution to the problem of lifelong multi-agent path finding (MAPF), where a team of agents must be moved to constantly changing goal locations without collisions.
Read More
Digital Trends: Human Moderators Can’t Stop Online Hate Speech Alone. We Need Bots to Help
USC computer scientists developed a text classifier, which takes social media posts and predicts whether the text contains hate speech by looking at context as well as content.
Read More
VentureBeat: How AI can empower communities and strengthen democracy
Viterbi AI research that tries to help individuals who are homeless as well as robots to identify problems in infrastructure were featured
Read More
Crosstown: The day the traffic died in Los Angeles
Researchers at USC’s Integrated Media Systems Center (IMSC), including Cyrus Shahabi, IMSC director and computer science professor, worked in partnership with Crosstown, a nonprofit news organization, to examine vehicle volume data across Los Angeles during the COVID-19 shutdown.
Read More
Adobe Spark: AthenaHacks 2020
AthenaHacks was founded in 2016 by a group of USC seniors, led by computer science student Kelly Lampotang, with the idea of creating a friendly hackathon event to inspire more women coders and engineers to work together.
Read More
KPCC : Digital Contract Tracing to Contain the Coronavirus
As more places across California start to reopen, contact tracing is set to play a crucial role in containing the spread of the coronavirus. Cyrus Shahabi, USC computer science professor, discusses how much of the work could be done through digital contact tracing and how it would work. (Listen ~00:19).
Read More
The World According to Namita
Namita Prakash is computer science major with a screenwriter minor
Read More
Washington Post: Your smartphone as a weapon against Coronavirus
Cyrus Shahabi was interviewed about a contact tracing app his team is working on to fight the spread of COVID19
Read More
Center for Cyber-Physical Systems: CCI Virtual Mini-Workshop on Digital Technologies for COVID-19
USC Researchers and faculty presented on how digital technologies– mobile applications, internet of things, data science, AI, and machine learning can play a role in understanding, monitoring and combatting COVID-19.
Read More
Adobe Spark: 5 Scientific Achievements Accomplished Remotely
How USC Viterbi researchers innovated, disrupted, and engaged new frontiers from a distance
Read More
DEN@Viterbi: Going the Distance: USC Viterbi Provides Distance Education During COVID-19
What Happens When All Students Become On-Line Students? Look to the Engineers.
Read More
Memo from Dean Yortsos: Facing the COVID-19 Challenge
Please click to view PDF
Read More
Student Advising Resources during COVID-19
Please visit page for more details
Read More
Newsweek : Children with Autism Saw Their Learning and Social Skills Boosted After Playing with this AI Robot
USC computer science researchers who designed an artificially intelligent robot that helped children with autism boost their learning and social skills hope such technology could one day aid others with the developmental disorder.
Read More
Robohub: Haptics and Virtual Interactions, Podcast Interview with Heather Culbertson
In this podcast, Assistant Professor in Computer Science Heather Culbertson discusses haptics research, creating interactions that realistically mimic touch sensations experienced during interactions with the physical world.
Read More
Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates
Please visit sites.usc.edu/coronavirus for updates
Read More
Deadline: Universal, Geena Davis Institute collaborate w/ USC SAIL to pilot Spellcheck for Bias tool
Tool will be deployed to support increased authentic Latinx onscreen representation and casting opportunities during the early stages of the development process
Read More
USC News: Gift from Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg helps establish new computer science building
Support from ophthalmologist Allen Ginsburg and his wife, Charlotte, will help computer and data science programs continue their dramatic growth.
Read More
Fast Company : This map shows where people on the coasts will flee to once sea levels rise
New AI-based research, led by Bistra Dilkina, projects migration patterns of people leaving coastal cities due to sea-level rise.
Read More
Dow Jones Marketwatch: How AI Could Predict the Next Disaster
Bistra Dilkina was interviewed about how AI as tool could help with disaster preparation and mitigation
Read More
BBC: Robots that Care: Making Tech that is a Force for Good
Maja Matarić was interviewed about the future for socially assistive robots as companions and coaches
Read More
Fortune: Hair-Brushing Robot Shows How Artificial Intelligence May Help the Disabled
A team of researchers led by assistant professor of computer science Stefanos Nikolaidis have created a robotic arm capable of brushing hair, which is designed to help physically disabled people.
Read More
Washington Post : Facebook’s ad tools subsidize partisanship, research shows. And campaigns may not even know it.
A new study co-authored by Aleksandra Korolova, an assistant professor of computer science at USC, found the technologies Facebook uses to put advertising it deems relevant in front of people may be more responsible for the polarization of American politics than previously understood.
Read More
USC NBSE wins major awards at regional conference
Fresh from its historic win last year when they brought home the trophy for National Chapter of The Year, the USC chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, or NSBE, continues to rake awards and solidify its place as one of the best student-run organizations in the nation
Read More
WIRED: Researchers built a simulator that teaches robots to assemble IKEA furniture
Research by Joseph Lim to train robots to assemble low-budget furniture was featured
Read More
Fast Company: This is Your Brain on Music
Research by the SAIL lab using AI to detect music’s effects on our brains and emotions, was featured.
Read More
NBC: Researchers Use Active Shooter Simulator to Design Safer Schools
Research by Burcin Bercerik Gerber, Gale Lucas of USC CENTIENTS and Erroll Southers to test building features that might thwart active shooters, was featured.
Read More
Wired: If You Want a Robot to Learn Better, Be a Jerk to It
When humans give robots “tough love” by trying to knock objects out of their hands, it actually helps them find the best ways to hold things, found Stefanos Nikolaidis, a USC computer science assistant professor.
Read More
Scientific American: Happy, with a 20 Percent Chance of Sadness
Jonathan Gratch was quoted on devices designed to predict moods.
Read More
Wall Street Journal: How to Build Robots People Can Relate To
As robots take on bigger roles, it’s crucial that users both trust and like them, says Professor Maja Mataric, founder and director of USC’s Interaction Lab.
Read More
Wired : Facebook’s Ad System Seems to Discriminate by Race and Gender
A new study from researchers at Northeastern University, the University of Southern California, and the nonprofit Upturn suggests Facebook’s ad delivery system perpetuates bias.
Read More
India Times : Professor Creates Computational Human Hand Model
Professor Jernej Barbic shares details about his realistic computational model of the human hand in motion.
Read More
MIT Technology Review : The world’s top deepfake artist: ‘Wow, this is developing more rapidly than I thought.’
Speaking at the MIT Technology Review’s EmTech conference, Hao Li shares his thoughts on the future of deepfake technology.
Read More
Information Week: Expect AI Flash Mobs of Fake News
Hao Li was quoted on the difficulty of detecting deepfake videos.
Read More
USA Today: Check your settings if you don’t want Google tracking every move
Aleksandra Korolova was quoted on how Google can track your every move.
Read More
The Orange County Register: Smart cars learning to avoid unpredictable pedestrians
Jeff Miller was quoted on autonomous vehicles learning to predict pedestrian movements.
Read More
Engadget: The evolution of cognitive architecture will deliver human-like AI
Paul Rosenbloom was quoted on the current state of artificial general intelligence research.
Read More
USC Viterbi News: The World of Games Just Got Bigger
More than 80 games from console, PC, VR, AR and mobile video games to board games and outdoor-games
Read More
USC Viterbi News: “A Ph.D. Is Our Call to Action”
USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s 2019 Ph.D. Hooding and Awards ceremony
Read More
OZY: How To Solve Homelessness With Artificial Intelligence
Work by CAIS using artificial intelligence to aid homeless youth in Los Angeles was featured.
Read More
Entrepreneur: 5 Simple Job Hunting Techniques to Land Your Dream Job
Research by Kristina Lerman (and colleagues) regarding people’s email response habits was highlighted
Read More
AI in Healthcare: AI screens for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder with 85% accuracy
Research by Chen Zhang and Laurent Itti about new technology they developed to screen children for fetal alcohol syndrome was featured.
Read More
BBC: The new weapon in the fight against crime
Research by Pedro Szekely and colleagues to develop an algorithm that searches the internet for indicators of human trafficking was mentioned.
Read More
Pacific Standard: Will Autonomous Vehicles Make Us Better People?
Research by Jonathan Gratch on how self-driving car technology may prompt users to consider the common good instead of selfish desires was highlighted.
Read More
BBC: How eavesdropping on elephants is keeping them safe
An article about conserving endangered wildlife using AI, featuring projects from USC’s Center for Artificial Intelligence and Society (CAIS).
Read More
USC News: Making a game of speech therapy for kids with cerebral palsy
A USC computer science PhD student and physical therapy researcher teamed up to develop a unique voice-assisted device that could help children with cerebral palsy.
Read More
US News and World Report on Online Graduate Programs: USC Viterbi ranked the best program in Computer Science and tied for second in overall Engineering
For the 7th straight year, the CS program is the top & the overall online engineering program is in the top 5.
Read More
BBC: How your voice hides clues about your love life
Research by Shri Narayanan on an artificial intelligence program that predicts relationship health based on speech patterns was mentioned
Read More
LA Times: Delivery operations at papers back on track after malware attack
Clifford Neuman was quoted about a recent ransomware attack on newspaper delivery operations.
Read More
Smithsonian: Here’s What the Future of Haptic Technology Looks (Or Rather, Feels) Like
Heather Culbertson was quoted about the future application of haptic technology.
Read More
GeekWire: Geek of the Week: Gerard Medioni is a man on the Go
Gerard Medioni was profiled for his role at Amazon.
Read More
Science News: How Twitter bots get people to spread fake news
Research by Emilio Ferrara on how bots spread misinformation was featured.
Read More
Venture Beat: What Moxi the robot is learning from nurses in Texas
Research by Maja Matarić was mentioned in a story about a robot with social intelligence
Read More
IEEE Spectrum: To Crack the Toughest Optimization Problems, Just Add Lasers
Research by Leonard Adleman was mentioned in a story on machines built to solve optimization problems.
Read More
PCMag: Think AI Is Too Scary? This Expert Wants to Calm Your Fears
Yolanda Gil’s work was profiled by PCMag. She discussed why we need to design AI systems that have and encourage ‘ethical and responsible behaviors.’
Read More
VentureBeat: Haptic armband lets you feel the sensation of stroking
Heather Culbertson research on a haptic armband was featured
Read More
BusinessLIVE: Are robots the future of therapy?
A study by Jonathan Gratch of ICT was cited on the potential for artificial intelligence in therapy.
Read More
ScienceNews: A new computer program generates eerily realistic fake videos
Kyle Olszewski was quoted on a new computer program that can generate realistic fake videos of a person’s movements and expressions.
Read More
TechCrunch: Duo Security researchers’ Twitter ‘bot or not’ study unearths crypto botnet
Research by Emilio Ferrara of the Information Sciences Institute was quoted on monitoring Twitter conversations.
Read More
TechRepublic: Tesla’s Autopilot: Cheat sheet
Jeffrey Miller was quoted about existing regulations regarding the testing of self-driving vehicles.
Read More
USA Today: Why you might want to wrap your car key fob in foil
Clifford Neuman was quoted about the growing need to protect car fobs from being remotely accessed and used to steal vehicles.
Read More
Swarthmore College: Valero-Cuevas Receives Honorary Degree from Swarthmore
Francisco Valero-Cuevas was awarded an honorary degree from his alma mater, Swarthmore College for his scientific contributions. He spoke at Swarthmore’s commencement ceremony on May 27, 2018
Read More
International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence: Milind Tambe Receives IJCAI 2018 John McCarthy Award
Milind Tambe, the Helen N. and Emmett H. Jones Professor in Engineering is being recognized for research and development of important practical applications of AI and multi-agent systems for social good.
Read More
Watch the Viterbi Satellite Commencement Ceremonies Streaming
Ph.D. on 5/10 at 9am PDT, Undergraduate on 5/11 at 11am PDT, Graduate on 5/11 at 3pm PDT, Computer Science Graduate on 5/11 at 6:30pm PDT
Read More
Human Resource Executive: Tech Jobs Forge Forward
Nenad Medvidovic was quoted regarding the future job prospects for software developers
Read More
Fresno Bee: Teenager Develops App to Protect Farmworkers from Heat-Related Illness
A collaboration between USC Viterbi students and local high school student Faith Florez to develop a mobile app that alerts farmworkers to heat warnings was featured
Read More
NBC News: Surprising Ways Augmented Reality Will Revolutionize Your Life
Hao Li was quoted about how augmented reality games might evolve
Read More
Discover: ‘Predator’ Vision Drones Get AI to Spot Poachers
Research by the USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society to help track poachers using artificial intelligence was featured
Read More
CNET: Robot Companions Are Just What the Doctor Ordered
Work by Maja Mataric and Margaret Trost of the Keck School of Medicine to develop robot-assisted therapies and socially assistive robots was featured
Read More
Wired: Driverless Cars Need Ears as Well as Eyes
Jeffrey Miller was quoted about recent advancements in driverless car technology and how to ensure the safety of drivers and pedestrians.
Read More
Microsoft: CAIS and Microsoft Announce Collaboration on AI and the Environment
Collaboration will support early career research and enable researchers to translate findings into applications
Read More
Happy Thanksgiving
From the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and it’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing – led by brilliant Professor SK Gupta, of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and of Computer Science
Read More
Wired: How One of Apple’s Key Privacy Safeguards Fall Short
Research by ISI’s Aleksandra Korolova and colleagues was highlighted, showing that Apple is mining users’ data in an effort to boost its “differential privacy.”
Read More
San Francisco Chronicle: Analysts Skeptical iPhone X’s Face ID will be Foolproof
Prem Natarajan was quoted about the security of Apple’s new facial identity feature on the iPhone X.
Read More
Wired: Why Self-Driving Cars Need Superhuman Senses
Jeff Miller was quoted on why self-driving cars need complex sensors to determine if there is a living object in their path.
Read More
Democrat and Chronicle: Conference Seeks to Capture the Cool in Innovation
The article noted that USC Games program is ranked first in the country among game development programs at universities.
Read More
VentureBeat: AI is Targeting Some of the World’s Biggest Problems: Homelessness, Terrorism, and Extinction
The Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society was highlighted for its efforts to address problems such as homeless youth, poaching of endangered species, and gang prevention.
Read More
Fast Company: Twitter Bots Are Thriving, And They’re More Lethal Than Ever
Research by Emilio Ferrara Information Sciences Institute and colleagues on the prevalence of bots on Twitter and how these bots can affect the spread of false information during an election.
Read More
Bloomberg: Big Data Shows Big Promise in Medicine
ISI’s Greg Ver Steeg was highlighted for his algorithm CorEx which was used to help friend and computational biologist Shirley Pepke find treatment options for her cancer diagnosis
Read More
LA Times: USC study finds that movies are still dominated by men, on- and off-screen
The LA Times highlighted the SAIL lab and a study on diversity and stereotypes in movie dialogues
Read More
Reuters: Amazon deepens university ties in artificial intelligence race
Reuters featured USC Viterbi and the Information Sciences Institute as being selected for the Amazon Alexa Fund Fellowship, a new program to support universities and researchers focused on transformative voice technologies such as text-to-speech, natural language understanding, automatic speech recognition and conversational artificial intelligence.
Read More
Reuters: Coordinated drones fly in synchronized flocks
Nora Ayanian was interviewed by Reuters on her research involving multi-robot coordination