On June 4th, 2024, Dr. William Swartout, Chief Science Officer, USC Institute for Creative Technologies; co-Director, Center for Generative AI and Society; research professor, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, gave a Technology Keynote at the 12th World Bank-Annenberg Summer Institute, at the Annenberg School of Communication.
Professor Swartout’s talk: “Embracing Change & Engaging with AI ” began with a brief overview of artificial intelligence, what it is, what it can do, and what are the concerns surrounding it. He then discussed how USC is addressing challenges generative AI poses for education, and ICT’s leadership role in establishing the AI Research Center of Excellence for Education (AIRCOEE) and the Personal Assistant for Lifelong Learning (PAL3) using AI to upskill the workforce about AI, and preparing them for the jobs of the 21st century.
Dr. William (Bill) Swartout has been involved in cutting edge research and development of artificial intelligence systems throughout his career. He is an AAAI Fellow, and received the Robert Engelmore Award from the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) for seminal contributions to knowledge-based systems and explanation, groundbreaking research on virtual human technologies and their applications, and outstanding service to the artificial intelligence community.
Further Reading: Ahead of ICT’s 25th anniversary, Dr. Swartout looked back at his career in AI in this essay: https://ict.usc.edu/news/essays/50-years-in-artificial-intelligence/