{"686876":{"#nid":"686876","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Manufacturing Consortium Helps Industry Close the Finish Gap","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom fighter jets to medical devices, today\u2019s most advanced machines depend on parts as intricate as their missions. These components aren\u2019t just geometrically complex \u2014 they\u2019re made from specialized metals engineered to withstand extreme heat, friction, and wear. But that strength comes with a challenge. How do you shape metals tough enough to survive the heat of a jet engine?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne solution is to start with a more moldable form of these super-metals: powder. In a specialized form of additive manufacturing (like 3D printing), manufacturers start with fine metal powders and fuse them, layer by layer, using focused energy. Known as powder bed fusion (PBF), this method enables highly complex shapes and reduces the amount of finishing work needed. Still, when a micron of extra material can make or break the final product, even near-perfect parts require precise finishing touches.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe introduction of new, exotic materials produced through additive manufacturing has brought unique challenges, especially for applications in space and missile systems,\u201d says David Antonuccio, business development director at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.halocarbon.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHalocarbon\u003C\/a\u003E, a Georgia-based company producing advanced chemical solutions used in manufacturing and other fields. \u201cWhile these materials offer distinct properties, they are notoriously difficult to machine.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s where the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTMI) comes in. Through its Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium, GTMI connects industry manufacturers like Halocarbon with researchers and innovators to tackle real \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0007850625000319?via%3Dihub\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eproduction challenges\u003C\/a\u003E like this. Membership includes access to GTMI\u2019s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility (AMPF), where companies can test ideas and collaborate on new solutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHalocarbon recently teamed up with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/freemelt.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFreemelt\u003C\/a\u003E, a leader in producing PBF systems and a fellow consortium member, to address this bottleneck. Their goal: to determine whether Halocarbon\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.halocarbon.com\/machining-mission-critical-metals-the-halocarbon-advantage-in-aerospace-alloys\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Especialized metalworking fluids\u003C\/a\u003E could enhance the finishing process for PBF-manufactured parts made from tungsten and molybdenum, two high-temperature, hard-to-machine metals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe future of manufacturing depends on how well we integrate talent, technology, and collaboration,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/people\/steven-ferguson\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESteven Ferguson\u003C\/a\u003E, interim director of Research Operations at GTMI and managing director of the consortium. \u201cBy bringing companies together around shared challenges, we\u2019re closing critical gaps and strengthening the nation\u2019s advanced manufacturing capability.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESolving the Post-Processing Bottleneck\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven with advanced methods like electron beam powder bed fusion (E-PBF), which uses an electron beam to fuse metal powders inside a vacuum chamber, finishing remains a critical hurdle. \u201cSurface finish in powder bed fusion is fundamentally tied to the particle size of the metal powder,\u201d says Ian Crawford, a materials and application engineer at Freemelt. \u201cPost-processing will almost always be part of the equation for high-performance components.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn traditional machining, coolants and cutting fluids used in these finishing steps are often overlooked, and the methods haven\u2019t changed much in decades. Halocarbon\u2019s metalworking fluid aims to bring these fluids into a new era, using innovative polymer chemistry to extend tool life, improve surface quality, and boost efficiency when machining these challenging alloys.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two companies initiated their joint project during their free AMPF equipment use time, which comes with the full level of consortium membership. From there, GTMI designed and executed controlled studies comparing the use of Halocarbon\u2019s fluids to two standard finishing methods, dry machining and EDM-based finishing. The results showed a 6% improvement in side milling and a 26% improvement in end milling versus dry machining, with even greater gains over EDM. These improvements translate into higher-quality parts, tighter specifications, lower scrap rates, extended tool life, and reduced downstream costs \u2014 exactly what aerospace and defense suppliers need to meet stringent requirements. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe findings were shared at the 2025 National Space \u0026amp; Missile Materials Symposium, reinforcing the value of industry-academic collaboration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIndustry keeps pushing materials to handle more heat and stress, but that makes post-processing harder,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/people\/matthew-carroll\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMatt Carroll\u003C\/a\u003E, one of the GTMI researchers on the project. \u201cBy bringing equipment makers and chemistry innovators into the same experiment, we were able to prove where the gains really are and give manufacturers data they can act on.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNo single manufacturing method solves every challenge,\u201d says Crawford. \u201cTo achieve the performance and cost targets that aerospace and defense applications demand, we need to bring together the right combination of technologies, and collaborations like this show what\u0027s possible when we do.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECollaborative research at GTMI is helping manufacturers overcome critical challenges in finishing advanced materials for aerospace and defense applications.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Collaborative research at GTMI is helping manufacturers overcome critical challenges in finishing advanced materials for aerospace and defense applications."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2025-12-11 18:59:54","changed_gmt":"2025-12-15 14:39:11","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-15T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-15T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678830":{"id":"678830","type":"image","title":"52029942294_e335c3c0ec_b.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAdvanced manufacturing methods like E-BPF enable the production of parts with complex geometries that traditional machining can\u0027t achieve, like those seen here at GTMI\u0027s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility. (Photo by Georgia Tech)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765479873","gmt_created":"2025-12-11 19:04:33","changed":"1765479873","gmt_changed":"2025-12-11 19:04:33","alt":"Advanced manufacturing methods like E-BPF enable the production of parts with complex geometries that traditional machining can\u0027t achieve, like those seen here at GTMI\u0027s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility.","file":{"fid":"262918","name":"52029942294_e335c3c0ec_b.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/11\/52029942294_e335c3c0ec_b.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/11\/52029942294_e335c3c0ec_b.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":94216,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/11\/52029942294_e335c3c0ec_b.jpg?itok=4l_JPc9m"}},"678829":{"id":"678829","type":"image","title":"finishing-machining-halocarbon.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EHigh-performance parts used in aerospace and defense systems need to be precise and durable. Collaborative research at the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute teamed is working to improve the finishing processes for hard to machine metals like tungsten. (Photo via Halocarbon)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765479614","gmt_created":"2025-12-11 19:00:14","changed":"1765479614","gmt_changed":"2025-12-11 19:00:14","alt":"High-performance parts used in aerospace and defense systems need to be precise and durable. Collaborative research at the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute teamed is working to improve the finishing processes for hard to machine metals like tungsten.","file":{"fid":"262917","name":"finishing-machining-halocarbon.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/11\/finishing-machining-halocarbon.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/11\/finishing-machining-halocarbon.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":20940,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/11\/finishing-machining-halocarbon.jpg?itok=41BlRrZ7"}}},"media_ids":["678830","678829"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/engage\/manufacturing-40-consortium","title":"More about GTMI\u0027s Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium"},{"url":"https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu","title":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"155831","name":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186857","name":"go-gtmi"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter: Audra Davidson\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications Program Manager\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EContact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bvogel30@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBelinda Vogel\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Engagement Manager\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["bvogel30@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686192":{"#nid":"686192","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Built in I2P: The Student Inventions You\u2019ll Want to See to Believe","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECricket powder-based protein brownies. A visualization system for fencing blades. A personalized AI application for analyzing blood work. All I2P Showcase prototypes. See what Georgia Tech students have been developing this semester at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/i2p-showcase-fall-2025-tickets-1748117429289?aff=article\u0022\u003EFall 2025 Idea to Prototype (I2P) Showcase\u003C\/a\u003E on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 5 p.m. in the Marcus Nanotechnology Building. This year, attendees will have even more\u0026nbsp;original inventions to view, with over 60 teams\u0026nbsp;displaying prototypes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe event marks the culmination of the semester-long I2P course, where undergraduate students develop functional prototypes aimed at solving real-world problems. Prototypes this semester include a smart military drone, a gentler device for cervical cancer screening, a rotating espresso station, tools to keep AI safe, compact data centers, systems that simulate cyberattacks to help companies strengthen their defenses, and many more.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe showcase is free and open to students, faculty, staff, and members of the local community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWinning teams will receive prizes and a \u201cgolden ticket\u201d into CREATE-X\u2019s Startup Launch, a summer accelerator that provides optional seed funding, accounting and legal service credits, mentorship, and more to help students turn their prototypes into viable startups.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is a free event, and refreshments will be provided.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/i2p-showcase-fall-2025-tickets-1748117429289?aff=article\u0022\u003ERegister for the Fall 2025 I2P Showcase\u003C\/a\u003E today!\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMore than 60 undergraduate teams will present functional prototypes at the Fall 2025 Idea to Prototype (I2P) Showcase at Georgia Tech, Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. in the Marcus Nanotechnology Building. See innovative student creations developed over the semester and designed to solve real-world problems. Winning teams earn prizes and a \u201cgolden ticket\u201d into CREATE-X\u2019s Startup Launch accelerator, which offers funding, in-kind services, mentorship, and more. This is a free event for the campus and local community.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s Fall 2025 I2P Showcase will feature over 60 student prototypes tackling real-world challenges."}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2025-11-04 20:30:14","changed_gmt":"2025-11-04 20:45:46","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-11-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-11-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678542":{"id":"678542","type":"image","title":"Founders of Allez Go Adam Kulikowski and Jason Mo","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFounders of Allez Go: Adam Kulikowski and Jason Mo\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1762288717","gmt_created":"2025-11-04 20:38:37","changed":"1762288817","gmt_changed":"2025-11-04 20:40:17","alt":"Founders of Allez Go: Adam Kulikowski and Jason Mo","file":{"fid":"262593","name":"54186413447_045f318b99_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/04\/54186413447_045f318b99_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/04\/54186413447_045f318b99_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":13446225,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/04\/54186413447_045f318b99_o.jpg?itok=AFgCbVoS"}}},"media_ids":["678542"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/i2p-showcase-fall-2025-tickets-1748117429289?aff=article","title":"Register for the 2025 Fall I2P Showcase"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"42921","name":"Exhibitions"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"148","name":"Music and Music Technology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breanna.durham@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682404":{"#nid":"682404","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Say Stress \u201cSweet Spot\u201d Can Improve Remote Operators\u0027 Performance","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMilitary drone pilots, disaster search and rescue teams, and astronauts stationed on the International Space Station are often required to remotely control robots while maintaining their concentration for hours at a time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech roboticists are attempting to identify the most stressful periods that human teleoperators experience while performing tasks remotely. A novel study provides new insights into determining when a teleoperator needs to operate at a high level of focus and which parts of the task can be delegated to robot automation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Interactive Computing Associate Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EMatthew\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EGombolay\u003C\/strong\u003E calls it the \u201csweet spot\u201d of human ingenuity and robotic precision. Gombolay and students from his \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/core-robotics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECORE Robotics Lab\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003Econducted a novel study that measures stress and workload on human teleoperators.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGombolay said it can inform military officials on how to strategically implement task automation and maximize human teleoperator performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHumans continue to hand over more tasks to robots to perform, but Gombolay said that some functions will still require human input and oversight for the foreseeable future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpecific applications, such as space exploration, commercial and military aviation, disaster relief, and search and rescue, pose substantial safety concerns. Astronauts stationed on the International Space Station, for example, manually control robots that bring in supplies, move cargo, and make structural repairs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s brutal from a psychological perspective,\u201d Gombolay said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe question often asked about automating a task in these fields is, at what point can a robot be trusted more than a human?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA recent paper by Gombolay and his current and former students \u2014 \u003Cstrong\u003ESam\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EYi\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003ETing\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EErin\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EHedlund\u003C\/strong\u003E-\u003Cstrong\u003EBotti\u003C\/strong\u003E, and \u003Cstrong\u003EManisha\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003ENatarajan\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2014 sheds new light on the debate. The paper was published in the IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters and will be presented at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NASA-funded study can identify which aspects of tedious, time-consuming tasks can be automated and which require human supervision. If roboticists can pinpoint the elements of a task that cause the least stress, they can automate these components and enable humans to oversee the more challenging aspects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we\u2019re talking about repetitive tasks, robots do better with that, so if you can automate it, you should,\u201d said Ting, a former grad student and lead author of the paper. \u201cI don\u2019t think humans enjoy doing repetitive tasks. We can move toward a better future with automation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMilitary officials, for example, could measure the stress of remote drone pilots and know which times during a pilot\u2019s shift require the highest level of attention.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can get a sense of how stressed you are and create models of how divided your attention is and the performance rate of the tasks you\u2019re doing,\u201d Gombolay said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt can be a low-stress or high-stress situation depending on the stakes and what\u2019s going on with you personally. Are you well-caffeinated? Well-rested? Is there stress from home you\u2019re bringing with you to the workplace? The goal is to predict how good your task performance will be. If it indicates it might be poor, we may need to outsource work to other people or create a safe space for the operator to destress.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Stress Test\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor their study, the researchers cut a small river-shaped path into a medium-density fiberboard. The exercise required the 24 participants to use a remote robotic arm to navigate through the path from one end to the other without touching the edges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe experiment grew more challenging as new stress conditions and workload requirements were introduced. The changing conditions required the test participants to multitask to complete the assignment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGombolay said the study supports the Yerkes-Dodson Law, which states that moderate levels of stress increase human performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe experiment showed that operators felt overwhelmed and performed poorly when multitasking was introduced. Too much stress led to poor performance, but a moderate amount of stress induced more engagement and enhanced teleoperator focus.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETing said finding that ideal stress zone can lead to a higher performance rating.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou would think the more stressed you are, the more your performance decreases,\u201d Ting said. \u201cMost people didn\u2019t react that way. As stress increased, performance increased, but when you increased workload and gave them more to do, that\u2019s when you started seeing deteriorating performance.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGombolay said no stress can be just as detrimental as too much stress. Performing a task without stress tends to cause teleoperators to become disinterested, especially if it is repetitive and time-consuming.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNo stress led to complacency,\u201d Gombolay said. \u201cThey weren\u2019t as engaged in completing the task.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf your excitement is too low, you get so bored you can\u2019t muster the cognitive energy to reason about robot operation problems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Human Factor\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERoboticists have made significant leaps in recent years to remove teleoperators from the equation. Still, Gombolay said it\u2019s too early to tell whether robots can be trusted with any task that a human can perform.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re a long way from full autonomy,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot that robots still can\u2019t do without a human operator. Search and rescue operations, if a building collapses, we don\u2019t have much training data for robots to go through rubble by themselves to rescue people. There are ethical needs for humans to be able to supervise or take direct control of robots.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech are exploring the relationship between stress levels and the performance of remote robot operators. They found a moderate level of of stress can enhance performance and keep operators engaged and focused.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers say there\u0027s a \u0022sweet spot\u0022 of stress that can enhance performance of remote robot operators such as drone pilots and astronauts."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2025-05-15 13:08:48","changed_gmt":"2025-07-15 15:05:39","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-05-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-05-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682471":{"#nid":"682471","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Army Vet Guides Student Team in Delivering Digital Solution for Military Operations","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA team of Computing students has developed a digital intake system for the U.S. Army, which is set to be implemented as early as next month, transforming a time-consuming, paper-based process into an efficient, modern platform.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project was part of Computer Science Junior Design Capstone Expo, where students collaborate in teams to build functional software solutions for real-world clients. For team members Jonathan Collins, Joel Cave, Srithan Nalluri, Mark Podrazhansky, and Caden Virant, that client was the U.S. Army. School of Computing Instruction Lecturer Aibek Musaev led their Junior Design section.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Army spends a significant amount of time maintaining, documenting, and repairing equipment that allows them to complete their mission,\u201d said Collins, a U.S. Army veteran. \u201cOur system essentially took the current maintenance process and converted it from an entirely paper-based process to a completely digital one.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team built a streamlined web application utilizing a set of modern tools that enhance data management, create a user-friendly interface, and ensure seamless operations. The new system improves accountability and visibility across Army maintenance operations by digitizing the intake and tracking processes. It eliminates the risk of lost paperwork and makes it easier for personnel to stay updated on equipment status and repair needs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E2nd Lt. Noah Parsons, the Army\u2019s point of contact for the project, was impressed with both the product and the team\u2019s professionalism.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech students have completed the intake system to perfection,\u201d Parsons said. \u201cThey performed exceptionally and professionally. I cannot stress how great of a job they have done for their class and for the Army as well. Our company intends to start using the intake system as early as next month.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Collins, who served four years in the Army before enrolling at Georgia Tech, the experience was meaningful.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA large part of my role in the Army involved the very maintenance processes we\u2019ve been working to improve,\u201d he said. \u201cI can\u2019t even count how many hours my coworkers and I spent with the current system. Now, being able to use this new chapter of my life to make meaningful improvements feels incredibly rewarding.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECollins also took the lead in communicating with the military client, helping the team navigate strict requirements and non-negotiable specifications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith this system, the Army decided what they wanted, and the team was tasked with delivering exactly that with no variation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project taught the team critical lessons about ownership, communication, and collaboration under pressure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCommunication with the client is the absolute most important thing,\u201d Collins said. \u201cYou could have the best programmers in the world, but it won\u2019t matter if you can\u2019t deliver the product the client wants. Meeting often and getting consistent feedback was key.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Army plans to begin using the system as early as June, bringing the students\u2019 work full circle and marking a meaningful contribution to real-world military operations.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA team of Computing students has developed a digital intake system for the U.S. Army, which is set to be implemented as early as next month, transforming a time-consuming, paper-based process into an efficient, modern platform.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project was part of Computer Science Junior Design Capstone Expo, where students collaborate in teams to build functional software solutions for real-world clients. For team members Jonathan Collins, Joel Cave, Srithan Nalluri, Mark Podrazhansky, and Caden Virant, that client was the U.S. Army. School of Computing Instruction Lecturer Aibek Musaev led their Junior Design section.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A team of Computing students has developed a digital intake system for the U.S. Army, which is set to be implemented as early as next month, transforming a time-consuming, paper-based process into an efficient, modern platform."}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2025-05-20 14:30:44","changed_gmt":"2025-05-27 13:15:09","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-05-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-05-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677094":{"id":"677094","type":"image","title":"armyintake1.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA CS Junior Design Capstone team created a new intake system for the U.S. Army to manage maintenance tasks. Photos by Jonathan Collins.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1747756291","gmt_created":"2025-05-20 15:51:31","changed":"1747756291","gmt_changed":"2025-05-20 15:51:31","alt":"A CS Junior Design Capstone team created a new intake system for the U.S. Army to manage maintenance tasks. Photos by Jonathan Collins.","file":{"fid":"260959","name":"armyintake1.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/20\/armyintake1.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/20\/armyintake1.png","mime":"image\/png","size":477480,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/20\/armyintake1.png?itok=1B9QWYny"}},"677095":{"id":"677095","type":"image","title":"armyintake2.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe team\u0027s project digitized the Army\u0027s maintenance operations with a modern, user-friendly tool.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1747756291","gmt_created":"2025-05-20 15:51:31","changed":"1747756291","gmt_changed":"2025-05-20 15:51:31","alt":"The team\u0027s project digitized the Army\u0027s maintenance operations with a modern, user-friendly tool.","file":{"fid":"260960","name":"armyintake2.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/20\/armyintake2.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/20\/armyintake2.png","mime":"image\/png","size":731193,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/20\/armyintake2.png?itok=8gz47wIJ"}},"677116":{"id":"677116","type":"image","title":"armycopy1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EU.S. Army soldiers work on a mission. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Josey Blades\/ DVIDS.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1747943378","gmt_created":"2025-05-22 19:49:38","changed":"1747943378","gmt_changed":"2025-05-22 19:49:38","alt":"U.S. Army soldiers work on a mission.","file":{"fid":"260984","name":"armycopy1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/22\/armycopy1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/22\/armycopy1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1158545,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/22\/armycopy1.jpg?itok=ug_3MuCG"}}},"media_ids":["677094","677095","677116"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660374","name":"School of Computing Instruction"}],"categories":[{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"193866","name":"school of computing instruction"},{"id":"525","name":"military"},{"id":"137281","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"183228","name":"CS Junior Design Capstone"},{"id":"189425","name":"cs junior design capstone expo"},{"id":"3336","name":"army"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"681671":{"#nid":"681671","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Faculty, Students Pilot AI Crisis Simulation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers from Georgia Tech and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGTRI\u003C\/a\u003E) recently piloted an in-depth crisis simulation exploring the national security implications of advanced artificial intelligence. Designed by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.aisi.dev\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAI Safety Initiative\u003C\/a\u003E in collaboration with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtmun.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EModel UN at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E, the immersive half-day workshop challenged faculty to respond to a series of escalating threats \u2014 including a potential biological attack, cyberattacks, and rising global tensions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParticipants represented major governments, corporations, and organizations \u2014 including OpenAI and Google DeepMind \u2014 and were inundated with simulated press releases and intelligence reports describing the rapid evolution of AI technologies. Their task: to debate and coordinate policy responses in real time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one scenario, a preliminary World Health Organization report revealed AI-enabled pathogens spreading across Central Asia. The player representing China quickly moved to close borders and reimpose pandemic-era lockdowns, a move that caused global confusion and economic instability.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s just no way I could have predicted that response,\u201d said Parv Mahajan, the director of the simulation. \u201cBut that kind of extreme response tells us so much about how unprepared countries might react.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDivjot Kaur, who constructed the simulated documents participants received throughout the workshop, agreed. \u201cThis valuable information can shed light on the research and work we must put in,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome players took advantage of the chaos. The simulation concluded with a discussion about how profit motives might distort information access and accelerate a potential AI arms race.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat stood out most to participants was the range of ideas that emerged during the crisis. \u201cIt was great to see the perspectives of diverse disciplines on the future of AI,\u201d said Amaar Alidina, an undergraduate researcher. \u201cDebate provided meaningful insight on topics we wouldn\u0027t even have thought of,\u201d Kaur said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking ahead, the AI Safety Initiative hopes to expand the simulation through collaborations with labs and departments across campus.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe future of our work will depend, in some way or another, on AI,\u0022 said Mahajan. \u0022And the best way to understand the future is to try and experience it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn a simulation from Georgia Tech and GTRI, participants navigated escalating global crises \u2014 including AI-enabled biothreats and cyberattacks \u2014 to assess how different actors might respond to emerging AI risks.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers explore national security risks posed by advanced AI through a high-stakes strategic exercise."}],"uid":"36734","created_gmt":"2025-04-08 18:30:49","changed_gmt":"2025-04-22 15:37:53","author":"Parv Mahajan","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676793":{"id":"676793","type":"image","title":"DSC04327.jpg","body":null,"created":"1744137281","gmt_created":"2025-04-08 18:34:41","changed":"1744137281","gmt_changed":"2025-04-08 18:34:41","alt":"Man with OpenAI placard listens carefully to speech.","file":{"fid":"260634","name":"DSC04327.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/08\/DSC04327_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/08\/DSC04327_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":319130,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/08\/DSC04327_0.jpg?itok=5QpHv7mI"}},"676794":{"id":"676794","type":"image","title":"DSC04279.jpg","body":null,"created":"1744137281","gmt_created":"2025-04-08 18:34:41","changed":"1744137281","gmt_changed":"2025-04-08 18:34:41","alt":"Man with \u0022Other Researchers and the Press\u0022 placard studies documents.","file":{"fid":"260635","name":"DSC04279.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/08\/DSC04279_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/08\/DSC04279_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":254102,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/08\/DSC04279_0.jpg?itok=ZWayoRds"}}},"media_ids":["676793","676794"],"groups":[{"id":"660394","name":"AI Safety Initative (AISI)"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194465","name":"AI Safety"},{"id":"2835","name":"ai"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"184285","name":"Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts; school of public policy"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAI Safety Initiative\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:board@aisi.dev\u0022\u003Eboard@aisi.dev\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Model UN\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:gatechmun@gmail.com\u0022\u003Egatechmun@gmail.com\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"681961":{"#nid":"681961","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Thesis on Human-Centered AI Earns Honors from International Computing Organization","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech alum\u2019s dissertation introduced ways to make artificial intelligence (AI) more accessible, interpretable, and accountable. Although it\u2019s been a year since his doctoral defense,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/zijie.wang\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZijie (Jay) Wang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s (Ph.D. ML-CSE 2024) work continues to resonate with researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang is a recipient of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medium.com\/sigchi\/announcing-the-2025-acm-sigchi-awards-17c1feaf865f\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. The award recognizes Wang for his lifelong work on democratizing human-centered AI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThroughout 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,\u201d said Wang, now a safety researcher at OpenAI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy work not only helps people understand AI and guide its behavior but also provides user-friendly tools that fit into existing workflows.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E[Related: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/research\/chi-2025\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing Swarms to Yokohama, Japan, for CHI 2025\u003C\/a\u003E]\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang\u2019s 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang\u2019s most influential projects formed the core of his dissertation. These included:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/poloclub.github.io\/cnn-explainer\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECNN Explainer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E: 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.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/poloclub.github.io\/diffusiondb\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiffusionDB\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E: 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.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/interpret.ml\/gam-changer\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGAM Changer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E: 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.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jennwv.com\/papers\/gamcoach.pdf\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGAM Coach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E: 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. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/new-tool-teaches-responsible-ai-practices-when-using-large-language-models\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFarsight\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E: a tool that alerts developers when they write prompts in large language models that could be harmful and misused. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI 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,\u201d said Wang, who was advised by School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/poloclub.github.io\/polochau\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPolo Chau\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis recognition also inspired me to continue striving to design and develop easy-to-use tools that help everyone to easily interact with AI systems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike Wang, Chau advised Georgia Tech alumnus\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fredhohman.com\/\u0022\u003EFred Hohman\u003C\/a\u003E (Ph.D. CSE 2020).\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/alumnus-building-legacy-through-dissertation-and-mentorship\u0022\u003EHohman won the ACM SIGCHI Outstanding Dissertation Award in 2022\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/poloclub.github.io\/\u0022\u003EChau\u2019s group\u003C\/a\u003E 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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChau 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang is one of five recipients of this year\u2019s award to be presented at the 2025 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chi2025.acm.org\/\u0022\u003ECHI 2025\u003C\/a\u003E). The conference occurs April 25-May 1 in Yokohama, Japan.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESIGCHI is the world\u2019s largest association of human-computer interaction professionals and practitioners. The group sponsors or co-sponsors 26 conferences, including CHI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang\u2019s outstanding dissertation award is the latest recognition of a career decorated with achievement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMonths after graduating from Georgia Tech,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/research-ai-safety-lands-recent-graduate-forbes-30-under-30\u0022\u003EForbes named Wang to its 30 Under 30 in Science for 2025\u003C\/a\u003E 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile a Georgia Tech student, Wang earned recognition from big names in business and technology. He received the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/student-named-apple-scholar-connecting-people-machine-learning\u0022\u003EApple Scholars in AI\/ML Ph.D. Fellowship in 2023\u003C\/a\u003E and was in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/georgia-tech-machine-learning-students-earn-jp-morgan-ai-phd-fellowships\u0022\u003E2022 cohort of the J.P. Morgan AI Ph.D. Fellowships Program\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong with the CHI award, Wang\u2019s dissertation earned him awards this year at banquets across campus. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com\/sites.gatech.edu\/dist\/0\/283\/files\/2025\/03\/2025-Sigma-Xi-Research-Award-Winners.pdf\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech chapter of Sigma Xi presented Wang with the Best Ph.D. Thesis Award\u003C\/a\u003E. He also received the College of Computing\u2019s Outstanding Dissertation Award.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech attracts many great minds, and I\u2019m glad that some, like Jay, chose to join our group,\u201d Chau said. \u201cIt 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.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech alum\u2019s dissertation introduced ways to make artificial intelligence (AI) more accessible, interpretable, and accountable. Although it\u2019s been a year since his doctoral defense,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/zijie.wang\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZijie (Jay) Wang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s (Ph.D. ML-CSE 2024) work continues to resonate with researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang is a recipient of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medium.com\/sigchi\/announcing-the-2025-acm-sigchi-awards-17c1feaf865f\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. The award recognizes Wang for his lifelong work on democratizing human-centered AI.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":" 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)."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2025-04-22 14:24:46","changed_gmt":"2025-04-22 14:29:07","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676903":{"id":"676903","type":"image","title":"Jay-Wang-SIGCHI-Dissertation-Award.jpg","body":null,"created":"1745331896","gmt_created":"2025-04-22 14:24:56","changed":"1745331896","gmt_changed":"2025-04-22 14:24:56","alt":"Zijie (Jay) Wang CHI 2025","file":{"fid":"260750","name":"Jay-Wang-SIGCHI-Dissertation-Award.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/22\/Jay-Wang-SIGCHI-Dissertation-Award.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/22\/Jay-Wang-SIGCHI-Dissertation-Award.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":99526,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/22\/Jay-Wang-SIGCHI-Dissertation-Award.jpg?itok=_QvwIP00"}},"673947":{"id":"673947","type":"image","title":"Farsight CHI.jpg","body":null,"created":"1714954253","gmt_created":"2024-05-06 00:10:53","changed":"1714954253","gmt_changed":"2024-05-06 00:10:53","alt":"CHI 2024 Farsight","file":{"fid":"257404","name":"Farsight CHI.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/05\/Farsight%20CHI.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/05\/Farsight%20CHI.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":139358,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/05\/Farsight%20CHI.jpg?itok=6genJVjw"}}},"media_ids":["676903","673947"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/thesis-human-centered-ai-earns-honors-international-computing-organization","title":"Thesis on Human-Centered AI Earns Honors from International Computing Organization"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"155","name":"Congressional Testimony"},{"id":"143","name":"Digital Media and Entertainment"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"42921","name":"Exhibitions"},{"id":"42891","name":"Georgia Tech Arts"},{"id":"179356","name":"Industrial Design"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"194248","name":"International Education"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"148","name":"Music and Music Technology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"42931","name":"Performances"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"677236":{"#nid":"677236","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Counter WMD Official Shares How She Prepares for America\u2019s Worst Day","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven though artificial intelligence (AI) is not advanced enough to help the average person build weapons of mass destruction, federal agencies know it could be possible and are keeping pace with next generation technologies through rigorous research and strategic partnerships.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is a delicate balance, but as the leader of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/countering-weapons-mass-destruction-office\u0022\u003ECountering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office\u003C\/a\u003E (CWMD) told a room full of Georgia Tech students, faculty, and staff, there is no room for error.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou have to be right all the time, the bad guys only have to be right once,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/person\/mary-ellen-callahan\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMary Ellen Callahan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant secretary for CWMD.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a guest of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jktien.com\/about\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Tien\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, former DHS deputy secretary and professor of practice in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E as well as the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESam Nunn School of International Affairs\u003C\/a\u003E, Callahan was at Georgia Tech for three separate speaking engagements in late September.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Assistant Secretary Callahan\u0027s contributions were remarkable in so many ways,\u201d said Tien. \u201cMost importantly, I love how she demonstrated to our students that the work in the fields of cybersecurity, privacy, and homeland security is an honorable, interesting, and substantive way to serve the greater good of keeping the American people safe and secure. As her former colleague at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, I was proud to see her represent her CWMD team, DHS, and the Biden-Harris Administration in the way she did, with humility, personality, and leadership.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the thought of AI-assisted WMDs is terrifying to think about, it is just a glimpse into what Callahan\u2019s office handles on a regular basis. The assistant secretary walked her listeners through how CWMD works with federal and local law enforcement on how to identify and detect the signs of potential chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear\u0026nbsp;(CBRN) weapons.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u0027s a whole cadre of professionals who spend every day preparing for the worst day in U.S. history,\u201d said Callahan. \u201cThey are doing everything in their power to make sure that that does not happen.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECWMD is also researching ways to implement AI technologies into current surveillance systems to help identify and respond to threats faster. For example, an AI-backed bio-hazard surveillance systems would allow analysts to characterize and contextualize the risk of potential bio-hazard threats in a timely manner.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECallahan\u2019s office spearheaded a report exploring the advantages and risks of AI in, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-06\/24_0620_cwmd-dhs-cbrn-ai-eo-report-04262024-public-release.pdf\u0022\u003EReducing the Risks at the Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Threats\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d which was released to the public earlier this year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe report was a multidisciplinary effort that was created in collaboration with the White House \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/ostp\/\u0022\u003EOffice of Science and Technology Policy\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/\u0022\u003EDepartment of Energy\u003C\/a\u003E, academic institutions, private industries, think tanks, and third-party evaluators.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring his introduction of assistant secretary, SCP Chair \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~mbailey\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMichael Bailey\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E told those seated in the Coda Atrium that Callahan\u2019s career is an incredible example of the interdisciplinary nature he hopes the school\u2019s students and faculty can use as a roadmap.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cImportant, impactful, and interdisciplinary research can be inspired by everyday problems,\u201d he said. \u0022We believe that building a secure future requires revolutionizing security education and being vigilant, and together, we can achieve this goal.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile on campus Tuesday, Callahan gave a special guest lecture to the students in \u201cCS\u0026nbsp;3237 Human Dimension of Cybersecurity: People, Organizations, Societies,\u201d and \u201cCS 4267 - Critical Infrastructures.\u201d Following the lecture, she gave a prepared speech to students, faculty, and staff.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELastly, she participated in a moderated panel discussion with SCP J.Z. Liang Chair\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/peterswire.net\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPeter Swire\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~perullo\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJerry Perullo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, SCP professor of practice and former CISO of International Continental Exchange as well as the New York Stock Exchange. The panel was moderated by Tien.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFederal agencies, particularly the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office, are actively researching how artificial intelligence can be used to detect and mitigate chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELed by Assistant Secretary Mary Ellen Callahan, CWMD works closely with federal and local law enforcement and partners in academia, government, and the private sector to explore how AI could enhance surveillance systems and accelerate responses to potential WMD threats. While AI is not yet advanced enough to facilitate weapon creation for malicious actors, Callahan emphasized the importance of being vigilant, as the consequences of a single error could be catastrophic. The agency\u2019s multidisciplinary efforts were showcased in a report that highlights both the risks and opportunities AI presents in managing CBRN threats.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Assistant Secretary of Department of Homeland Security\u2019s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, talks about researching the role of AI in combating chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2024-10-01 16:35:01","changed_gmt":"2024-10-16 18:05:44","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675182":{"id":"675182","type":"image","title":"Mary Ellen Callahan visit_86A3520-Enhanced-NR.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDHS Assistant Secretary for CWMD, Mary Ellen Callahan, speaks to students on the Georgia Tech campus in September. Photo by Terence Rushin, College of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1727800536","gmt_created":"2024-10-01 16:35:36","changed":"1727800536","gmt_changed":"2024-10-01 16:35:36","alt":"woman speaking","file":{"fid":"258783","name":"Mary Ellen Callahan visit_86A3520-Enhanced-NR.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/01\/Mary%20Ellen%20Callahan%20visit_86A3520-Enhanced-NR.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/01\/Mary%20Ellen%20Callahan%20visit_86A3520-Enhanced-NR.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1471805,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/10\/01\/Mary%20Ellen%20Callahan%20visit_86A3520-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=BWo3R-1Y"}}},"media_ids":["675182"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660373","name":"School of Cybersecurity \u0026 Privacy (Do not use)"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"11435","name":"Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College"},{"id":"174523","name":"Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"169209","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts; Sam Nunn School of International Affairs"},{"id":"108321","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts; Sam Nunn School of International Affairs;"},{"id":"179321","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts; Sam Nunn School of International Affairs; national security;"},{"id":"178006","name":"chemical WMD"},{"id":"1264","name":"WMD"},{"id":"13167","name":"DHS"},{"id":"193860","name":"Artifical Intelligence"},{"id":"344","name":"cyber"},{"id":"181818","name":"cybersceurity"},{"id":"191797","name":"Cybersecurity careers"},{"id":"543","name":"National Security"},{"id":"13168","name":"Department of Homeland Security"},{"id":"45111","name":"Department of Nuclear and Radiological Engineering"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"186861","name":"go-cyber"},{"id":"105541","name":"federal agencies"},{"id":"67621","name":"federal relations"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham, Communications Officer II\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy | Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Escp.cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E | \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jp-popham\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jp-popham\u0022\u003Ein\/jp-popham\u003C\/a\u003E on LinkedIn\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGet the latest SCP updates by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/eepurl.com\/hNuIVT\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/eepurl.com\/hNuIVT\u0022\u003Ejoining our mailing list!\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"674235":{"#nid":"674235","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Grappling With Uncertainty Amid Cyberattacks","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat I\u2019ve repeatedly found is that people are terrified of cyberattacks, because, frankly, cyberattacks are scary,\u201d said Ryan Shandler, assistant professor of political science in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E, where his research focuses on how people react to cyberattacks. \u201cPeople don\u2019t fully understand them. They don\u2019t know who\u2019s behind them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EShandler\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/00223433231218178?journalCode=jpra\u0022\u003Elatest study\u003C\/a\u003E looks at the effect this uncertainty has on public opinion after a cyber incident.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen faced with the unknown, people conjure visions of doom, where one bad guy in his mom\u2019s basement clicks a button and takes over the world.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Shandler, even a minor cyberattack can generate the kind of fear that \u201cchanges world views or causes people to vote a certain way, sacrificing their civil liberties for security and surveillance, regardless of how intrusive.\u201d By way of example, Shandler refers to a digital mishap hyperbolically reported as a major cyberattack on a Florida water plant that actually resulted from an employee mistake.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese reactions from the general public, even when they don\u2019t know who is behind an attack, can have strong political and societal consequences,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShifting the Focus\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESometimes he refers to this uncertainty as \u201ca shadow of ambiguity.\u201d Shandler and his collaborators have added a new element to the body of cyber-conflict literature, most of which deals with ambiguity from an operational or strategic perspective. His team has written an article for a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/Special-Issue-on-Cyber-Conflict\u0022\u003Especial issue\u003C\/a\u003E of the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of Peace Research\u003C\/em\u003E that focuses on the uncertainty surrounding cybersecurity incidents. Shandler also co-edited the issue.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers surveyed 2,025 participants, who were asked to evaluate potential cyber threat scenarios and decide on various retaliatory measures.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA typical question presented two scenarios positing a cyberattack on the U.S. In one, intelligence sources might be 70% certain that China was the perpetrator; in the other, intelligence might be 40% certain it was caused by the United Kingdom. Other options in the scenario included the proposed means of retaliation and the chance of conflict escalation. Participants were asked which strategic course they preferred \u2014 whether to retaliate and, if so, against whom.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs the government\u2019s certainty percentage goes down, the level of support for retaliation goes down, which is unsurprising,\u201d said Shandler, whose collaborators on the study were Nathaniel Porter of Virginia Tech and Eric Jardine of cybersecurity firm Chainalysis. \u201cBut when we dig a little deeper, we can see that it depends on who the other country is. If we\u2019re 50% sure China is behind it, we tend to lean more toward retaliation than if we\u2019re 50% sure that England is behind it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMental Shortcuts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFaced with the complexities of cyberspace and the potential threats inhabiting it, most people will fall back on mental shortcuts when forced to decide in the face of uncertainty, the researchers assert. As such, perceptions of countries as adversaries or allies play a role in decision-making.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPolitical partisanship also played a role in how people responded to the scenarios. For Republicans, the perception of another country as an ally or rival mattered more than it did for Democrats. This also wasn\u2019t particularly astonishing to the researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe didn\u2019t want to guess \u2014 we wanted to find out how people react when faced with the ambiguity of a cyberattack,\u201d Shandler said. He and his colleagues hoped to identify what they called a \u201ccertainty threshold.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat is, they wanted to answer a basic question: How sure do authorities need to be about the perpetrator to gain public support for economic, diplomatic, or military responses?\u0026nbsp; After gathering and crunching the numbers, the researchers put the threshold at 60% certainty, though it shifts depending on the identity of the presumed attacker.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EShandler\u2019s colleagues in the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy are mostly computer scientists who work in bits, bytes, and rational logic \u2014 everything is mapped out and orderly, unlike human beings, who aren\u2019t logical or rational.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPeople are not computer code. We\u2019re messy, emotional, and use mental shortcuts to make decisions,\u201d Shandler said. \u201cSo, we thought a human analysis of the uncertainty that is so much a part of cyberspace would be a good idea.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, Shandler hopes his research will force policymakers and national security officials to pay more attention to the way the public experiences cyber threats, because voters won\u2019t write a blank check and support retaliation in response to every attack.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen states volley cyberattacks back and forth, the public gets caught in the crossfire, and they need to be a stakeholder in decisions about how to react,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAuthorities should be more open with the public, he added. That would go a long way toward demystifying cyberattacks and avoiding the potential of a mass panic.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn my experience, mystifying the situation is how we get to the theories of cyber doom and Armageddon and \u003Cem\u003EMission Impossible\u003C\/em\u003E and the robots coming to get us,\u201d Shandler said. \u201cI think what people are imagining is much worse than the reality. It\u2019s the lack of information that scares them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION:\u003C\/strong\u003E Eric Jardine, Nathaniel Porter, Ryan Shandler. \u0022Cyberattacks and public opinion \u2013 The effect of uncertainty in guiding preferences,\u0022 \u003Cem\u003EJournal of Peace Research\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/00223433231218178\u0022\u003Edoi.org\/10.1177\/0022343323121\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEven minor cyberattacks can cause an over-reaction from an uninformed public.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Even minor cyberattacks can cause a fearful reaction from the public."}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2024-04-17 04:01:08","changed_gmt":"2024-04-18 00:30:02","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-04-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-04-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673727":{"id":"673727","type":"image","title":"Ryan Shandler","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERyan Shandler\u0027s latest study looks at the effects of uncertainty on the public following a cyberattack.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1713325804","gmt_created":"2024-04-17 03:50:04","changed":"1713325947","gmt_changed":"2024-04-17 03:52:27","alt":"Ryan Shandler","file":{"fid":"257156","name":"Ryan.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/16\/Ryan.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/16\/Ryan.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5337052,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/16\/Ryan.jpg?itok=PUh2kNzx"}}},"media_ids":["673727"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1404","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"170215","name":"cyberattacks"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}