TLDR: The USC Viterbi School of Engineering and other departments are spearheading a comprehensive integration of Artificial Intelligence across various academic disciplines. This initiative is reshaping how students learn, how research is conducted, and how AI interacts with society, from creating ‘campus pets’ and preserving endangered languages to enhancing patient care and teaching AI ethics.
The University of Southern California (USC) is at the forefront of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into a wide array of academic disciplines, fundamentally transforming learning, research, and societal interaction with advanced computing. This extensive initiative, championed by the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and other departments, is preparing students and researchers to navigate the evolving landscape of AI.
According to Gaurav Sukhatme, executive vice dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, undergraduates are now equipped to tackle problems far more complex than traditional textbook scenarios. Sukhatme, also a professor of computer science and electrical engineering, emphasizes that computing enables engineering students to bridge their expertise with non-engineering fields such as social problems, law, business, and medicine. He notes that AI is poised to make a significant difference, contingent on societal investment and prioritization of this technology.
Innovative applications of AI are emerging across campus. In a unique interdisciplinary project, USC School of Dramatic Arts students are collaborating with the USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy to create a ‘campus pet’ from a delivery bot. This semester-long endeavor, part of the ‘Art of Theatrical Design’ course, involves costume, set, game design, interactivity, and data collection, aiming to foster ‘surprise engagement’ and allow students to ‘make a friend’ with the robot, as described by Associate Professor of Scenic Design Sibyl Wickersheimer. The project highlights the creation of a backstory and characterization for the AI-driven entity.
In linguistics, Khalil Iskarous, associate professor at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, is leveraging AI to preserve endangered languages like Ladin. His team is developing computer programs that analyze audio data to understand word and sentence formation, with the goal of creating speech recognition software for languages with limited data. This effort includes developing an app for young children to learn Ladin, demonstrating a practical application of AI in cultural preservation.
Ethical considerations of AI are also a core focus. Vishal Gupta, a data scientist and professor at the USC Marshall School of Business, teaches ‘AI: Seeds of Change or Existential Threat?’ This course delves into the practical and ethical implications of AI, exploring questions such as whether AI should be used for tasks like choosing job candidates and how its deployment might disrupt industries. Gupta stresses the importance of responsible leadership in using AI to avoid unintentional harm.
AI is also revolutionizing patient care. Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC are utilizing an $18 million National Institutes of Health initiative to accelerate Alzheimer’s disease research. USC neuroscientist Paul Thompson explains that AI and machine learning are being used to enhance precision diagnostics, prognosis, and treatment development by analyzing thousands of brain scans to detect disease probabilities and flag patterns for new discoveries.
For job seekers, the Virtual Interactive Training Agent (VITA), developed by USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT), uses AI and virtual humans to provide a safe environment for practicing job interviews. Originally for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, VITA has been adapted for veterans and low-income individuals. Albert ‘Skip’ Rizzo, director of medical virtual reality for ICT, notes that interacting with virtual agents offers the advantage of realistic engagement without the fear of real-person evaluation. The system is continuously evolving, with plans to integrate facial expression tracking for eye contact, response time, and vocal pitch.
Furthermore, AI is being applied to enhance robotic movement. Professor of Dance Margo Apostolos is collaborating with USC Viterbi Assistant Professor Quan Nguyen to develop ‘choreobotics,’ teaching robots graceful, choreographed movements. This interdisciplinary effort aims to instill elegance in robots designed for linear and angular motion.
In education, Associate Professor Yasemin Copur-Genctruk at the USC Rossier School of Education is developing an intelligent virtual tutor for teacher professional development. This initiative aims to create a publicly available virtual AI hub, expanding content areas and making learning accessible to teachers at all levels, anywhere, thereby improving teaching skills through pedagogical virtual agents and dialogue-based tutoring.
The USC Viterbi Information Technology Program is also launching a minor in applied artificial intelligence this fall, focusing on real-world applications and ethical decision-making for AI systems, such as self-driving cars. Jeffrey Miller, ITP director, anticipates this minor will be highly popular, underscoring AI’s growing importance beyond engineering.
Also Read:
- Duke University Launches Comprehensive Initiative to Integrate Artificial Intelligence into Academic and Student Life
- UNESCO Advocates for Equitable AI Integration in Global Education
Finally, the Legal Innovations Lab at the USC Gould School of Law is preparing students for emerging technology issues, including AI’s implications for legal practice. Legal technology entrepreneur Dorna Moini teaches students to think innovatively about law and technology to deliver legal services more effectively.
