Congressional Testimony

Thesis on Human-Centered AI Earns Honors from International Computing Organization

dgivens8 — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 14:30:41 +0000

Thesis on Human-Centered AI Earns Honors from International Computing Organization dgivens8 Tue, 04/22/2025 - 10:30

A Georgia Tech alum’s dissertation introduced ways to make artificial intelligence (AI) more accessible, interpretable, and accountable. Although it’s been a year since his doctoral defense, Zijie (Jay) Wang’s (Ph.D. ML-CSE 2024) work continues to resonate with researchers.

Wang is a recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI). The award recognizes Wang for his lifelong work on democratizing human-centered AI.

“Throughout my Ph.D. and industry internships, I observed a gap in existing research: there is a strong need for practical tools for applying human-centered approaches when designing AI systems,” said Wang, now a safety researcher at OpenAI.

“My work not only helps people understand AI and guide its behavior but also provides user-friendly tools that fit into existing workflows.”

Wang’s dissertation presented techniques in visual explanation and interactive guidance to align AI models with user knowledge and values. The work culminated from years of research, fellowship support, and internships.

Wang’s most influential projects formed the core of his dissertation. These included:

CNN Explainer: an open-source tool developed for deep-learning beginners. Since its release in July 2020, more than 436,000 global visitors have used the tool.
DiffusionDB: a first-of-its-kind large-scale dataset that lays a foundation to help people better understand generative AI. This work could lead to new research in detecting deepfakes and designing human-AI interaction tools to help people more easily use these models.
GAM Changer: an interface that empowers users in healthcare, finance, or other domains to edit ML models to include knowledge and values specific to their domain, which improves reliability.
GAM Coach: an interactive ML tool that could help people who have been rejected for a loan by automatically letting an applicant know what is needed for them to receive loan approval.
Farsight: a tool that alerts developers when they write prompts in large language models that could be harmful and misused.

“I feel extremely honored and lucky to receive this award, and I am deeply grateful to many who have supported me along the way, including Polo, mentors, collaborators, and friends,” said Wang, who was advised by School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) Professor Polo Chau.

“This recognition also inspired me to continue striving to design and develop easy-to-use tools that help everyone to easily interact with AI systems.”

Like Wang, Chau advised Georgia Tech alumnus Fred Hohman (Ph.D. CSE 2020). Hohman won the ACM SIGCHI Outstanding Dissertation Award in 2022.

Chau’s group synthesizes machine learning (ML) and visualization techniques into scalable, interactive, and trustworthy tools. These tools increase understanding and interaction with large-scale data and ML models.

Chau is the associate director of corporate relations for the Machine Learning Center at Georgia Tech. Wang called the School of CSE his home unit while a student in the ML program under Chau.

Wang is one of five recipients of this year’s award to be presented at the 2025 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2025). The conference occurs April 25-May 1 in Yokohama, Japan.

SIGCHI is the world’s largest association of human-computer interaction professionals and practitioners. The group sponsors or co-sponsors 26 conferences, including CHI.

Wang’s outstanding dissertation award is the latest recognition of a career decorated with achievement.

Months after graduating from Georgia Tech, Forbes named Wang to its 30 Under 30 in Science for 2025 for his dissertation. Wang was one of 15 Yellow Jackets included in nine different 30 Under 30 lists and the only Georgia Tech-affiliated individual on the 30 Under 30 in Science list.

While a Georgia Tech student, Wang earned recognition from big names in business and technology. He received the Apple Scholars in AI/ML Ph.D. Fellowship in 2023 and was in the 2022 cohort of the J.P. Morgan AI Ph.D. Fellowships Program.

Along with the CHI award, Wang’s dissertation earned him awards this year at banquets across campus. The Georgia Tech chapter of Sigma Xi presented Wang with the Best Ph.D. Thesis Award. He also received the College of Computing’s Outstanding Dissertation Award.

“Georgia Tech attracts many great minds, and I’m glad that some, like Jay, chose to join our group,” Chau said. “It has been a joy to work alongside them and witness the many wonderful things they have accomplished, and with many more to come in their careers.”

Summary sentence

Zijie (Jay) Wang (Ph.D. ML-CSE 2024) is a recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI).

Summary

Dateline

Thu, 04/17/2025 - 12:00

Contact

Bryant Wine, Communications Officer
bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu

Keywords

College of Computing

School of Computational Science and Engineering

artificial intelligence (AI)

Georgia Tech News Center

Daily Digest

Research Horizons

go-researchnews

go-ai

Neurotech Moonshot: Georgia Tech Researcher Shares Impact of BRAIN Initiative in Congressional Briefing

admin — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 19:33:41 +0000

Neurotech Moonshot: Georgia Tech Researcher Shares Impact of BRAIN Initiative in Congressional Briefing admin Wed, 04/24/2024 - 15:33

For the past 10 years, the National Institutes of Health have led an unprecedented effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human brain. The aptly named BRAIN (Brain Research Through Advancing Neurotechnologies) Initiative has led to remarkable technological advancements, insights into the structure and function of the brain, and budding therapies.

Recently, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Professor Chris Rozell traveled to Washington, D.C. to share the impact of his BRAIN Initiative research with U.S. Congressional offices — and offer insights on how critical this program is to society. The briefing took on a particular urgency because BRAIN Initiative funding was cut over 40% this year, and future funding appears to be in jeopardy in the current federal budget climate.

“The millions of patients suffering with intractable neurologic disorders and mental illness deserve a moonshot to develop new solutions for their conditions,” said Rozell, who also holds the Julian T. Hightower Chair in ECE and serves on the executive committee for Georgia Tech’s Neuro Next Initiative. “You can't get to the moon with a paper plane, and you can’t get there without a map. The BRAIN Initiative is a vital program because it's one of the few places that brings together interdisciplinary teams that include the scientists who have been building maps of brain circuits and the engineers who have been building rockets to understand and intervene with those circuits.

“I'm proud to have had the chance to represent not only our own research, but the incredible community here at Georgia Tech and around the country working to understand many different aspects of the brain, developing new neurotechnologies, and advancing therapies for neurologic disorders.”

Interdisciplinary impacts

“The main message we presented to Congress is that the interdisciplinary combination of rigorous science and technical innovation can have enormous societal impact over the next few decades,” said Rozell.

A stark example of that impact was published in Nature this past fall. In this research, Rozell and his collaborators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Emory University School of Medicine identified the first known biomarker of disease recovery with deep brain stimulation in treatment-resistant depression.

“The fact that an engineer can advance clinical therapies is a testament to the new era we're in,” says Rozell, “where disciplinary boundaries are fading, and technological innovation accelerates our scientific and translational breakthroughs.”

This research served as a focal point of the congressional briefing, where Rozell presented with BRAIN Initiative Director John J. Ngai, clinical collaborators, and a family whose lives have been transformed by this work.

“Events like last week are dream come true,” shared Jon Nelson, who was treated with deep brain stimulation as part of the study and presented with Rozell in D.C. After living through 10 years of debilitating, treatment-resistant depression, Nelson says “remission of depression still doesn't feel real. It's been a year and a half, and I still am in awe every single day.

“The fact that I have come out of this study and found that the disease is purely an electrical deficiency in my brain has fueled me to completely pulverize the stigma of mental illness,” Nelson explained. “When you have an opportunity to go speak to Congress — that’s about as great of a platform as you can get for that. Being able to put a face to what the BRAIN Initiative funding can do for people was just amazing.”

When meeting with local representatives, Rozell also relayed his work as co-executive leader of the Neuro Next Initiative, a budding Interdisciplinary Research Institute at Georgia Tech.

“I was thrilled to highlight that Georgia Tech is leading the charge with the Neuro Next Initiative, which will evolve into a full Interdisciplinary Research Institute in 2025,” said Rozell. “Georgia Tech has the ingredients to become a leading center for modern technology-driven interdisciplinary brain research and workforce development.

“This visit was a reminder to me that research funding is not guaranteed and it’s important to keep communicating the critical value that research plays in advancing our understanding, training our workforce, fueling our economy, and ultimately making a better tomorrow for society.”

Summary sentence

Chris Rozell traveled to Washington, D.C. to share the impacts of the past decade of brain research funded by the NIH BRAIN Initiative with Congress — and share with local representatives how Georgia Tech is playing a key role in leading the charge.

Summary

Georgia Tech Professor Chris Rozell recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to present his groundbreaking research on treatment-resistant depression to Congress. There, Rozell shared insights on the impact of 10 years of the NIH BRAIN Initiative — and share with local representatives how Georgia Tech is playing a key role in leading the charge.

Dateline

Wed, 04/24/2024 - 12:00

audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu

Contact

Audra Davidson
Research Communications Program Manager
Neuro Next Initiative

Keywords

go-neuro

BRAIN initiative

go-researchnews

cos-research

cos-neuro

News room topics

Health and Medicine

Georgia Tech's Sonification Lab Revolutionizes Eclipse Experience for Visually Impaired

admin — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 16:53:41 +0000

Georgia Tech's Sonification Lab Revolutionizes Eclipse Experience for Visually Impaired admin Fri, 04/05/2024 - 12:53

As the April 8 solar eclipse approaches, millions of people anticipate participating in the wonder of this celestial event. Yet, for those with visual impairments, traditional methods of observing such phenomena may present limitations. Fortunately, resources from the team of Tech’s School of Psychology professor, Bruce Walker, offer an inclusive approach, ensuring that everyone can engage with and appreciate the eclipse experience. Through detailed auditory descriptions and immersive virtual environments, the Sonification Lab facilitates accessibility to the wonders of the universe for all, regardless of visual ability.

“This is the absolute first technology of its kind to give blind and visually impaired users the complete information and spatial knowledge of a map, especially for an eclipse,” said Brandon Biggs, Ph.D. student in the Human Centered Computing (HCC) program in the School of Interactive Computing.

At the forefront of the Sonification Lab’s research efforts are the resources provided by the lab’s website. This comprehensive platform serves as a hub for eclipse enthusiasts, offering detailed maps, predictions, and scientific insights into the upcoming solar eclipse. These resources are integral to the Sonification Lab's work, enabling them to create fully accessible and accurate auditory representations of the eclipse experience, says Walker.

Crafting an Immersive Soundtrack

Through meticulous analysis and interpretation of the data, Walker's team crafts auditory representations of the eclipse that accurately depict its various phases and phenomena. Each element, from the gradual obscuration of the sun to the fleeting moments of totality, he adds, is translated into carefully composed melodies and rhythms. This soundtrack offers listeners a unique and immersive way to experience the celestial event.

“It’s almost like infotainment,” said Walker. “We want to give a complete experience of totality during the eclipse, with the immersive sound of what birds and other animal behaviors would be at that time.”

As the moon begins to move across the face of the sun, the soundtrack reflects this gradual obscuration through subtle shifts in melody and rhythm. The gradual dimming of light is mirrored by a gradual crescendo in the music, creating a sense of anticipation and tension.

During the brief moments of totality, when the moon completely blocks the sun, the soundtrack reaches a climax. This crescendo symbolizes the awe-inspiring beauty of totality, capturing the profound experience of witnessing the sun's corona against the backdrop of darkness.

"Pull" Style Audio Map: This map outlines the precise path the solar eclipse will take across North America. It provides information about the regions that will experience totality, using the same path data from NASA. The map’s features offer both low lighting and an interactive icon to follow the route of the eclipse, making it engaging and web-accessibility compliant. By incorporating data from this map, the Sonification Lab ensures that their auditory representations align with the geographical features of the eclipse path.

"Push" Style Map: This map provides detailed information about the timing of the eclipse in various locations. According to Walker, the map highlights the moments of partial and total eclipse, allowing listeners to follow the progression of the event in real time. By integrating data from this map, the Sonification Lab synchronizes their auditory compositions with the chronological sequence of the eclipse.

Enhancing Accessibility Through VR Technology

In addition to facilitating this auditory experience, the Sonification Lab also explores virtual reality (VR) capabilities to enhance accessibility for those unable to witness the eclipse firsthand. By immersing users in a virtual environment, complete with visual and auditory components, VR technology enables individuals to experience the eclipse in a highly immersive and interactive manner.

Walker explains that, in the VR environment, users can explore detailed visual representations of the eclipse, including accurate depictions of the sun, moon, and Earth. These visual components provide additional context and enrichment to the auditory experience, allowing users to better understand the celestial mechanics at play.

To delve deeper into the wonders of the cosmos and experience the eclipse in a whole new way, individuals are encouraged to visit the website here.

Summary sentence

Through detailed auditory descriptions and immersive virtual environments, the Sonification Lab facilitates accessibility to the wonders of the universe for all, regardless of visual ability.

Summary

Dateline

Fri, 04/05/2024 - 12:00

sar30@gatech.edu

Contact

Siobhan Rodriguez

Institute Communications

Keywords

solar eclipse

totality

accessibility

total solar eclipse

April 8 solar eclipse

Bruce Walker; Sonification Lab; Music; solar eclipse; great american eclipse

visually impaired

blind

cos-community

cos-research

cos-planetary

go-neuro

News room topics

Campus and Community

Congressional Testimony

Thesis on Human-Centered AI Earns Honors from International Computing Organization

Related links

Keywords

Categories

Neurotech Moonshot: Georgia Tech Researcher Shares Impact of BRAIN Initiative in Congressional Briefing

Interdisciplinary impacts

Related links

Keywords

News room topics

Categories

Georgia Tech's Sonification Lab Revolutionizes Eclipse Experience for Visually Impaired

Related links

Keywords

News room topics

Categories