AI for Social Good

How can AI be used for social good?  Artificial intelligence has received an enormous amount of attention in the popular press over the past few years.  Much of this press is negative, focusing on job loss due to automation or fears of weaponized AI.  In this lecture, Drs. Tambe and Rice will share their vision for how AI and social work can come together in the 21st century to tackle some of the world’s most vexing social issues.  They will discuss how they created the USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society and its mission; and will share some of CAIS’ main areas of research, including homelessness, suicide prevention, substance abuse prevention, gang violence prevention, wildlife conservation, and counter-terrorism.

Dr. Tambe’s primary research interests lie in using AI for social good. He has contributed several foundational papers in AI in areas such as multiagent systems and security games. He cofounded CAIS with Dr. Rice to merge the tools of social work with those of AI to better serve those in need. Dr. Tambe earned his PhD from the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. Rice is an expert in social network science and theory, and community-based research. His main focus is on youth homelessness and social network influence on risk-taking behaviors and resilience. He cofounded CAIS with Dr. Tambe as a new home for AI and social work to create novel solutions to major social problems. Dr. Rice earned his PhD in Sociology from Stanford University.