REU Site: Artificial Intelligence, Security, and Privacy

Recent improvements in the capabilities and real-world applications of AI have highlighted the need for researchers working at the intersection of AI, security, and privacy. This project will promote scientific progress by training undergraduate students to conduct research connecting these three fields. This project will advance national prosperity and welfare by investigating the security and privacy challenges of AI methods, and by developing new AI methods that can improve security and privacy. Students will work on individual research projects while developing a broader understanding of the technical and social issues that connect AI, security, and privacy. This project will introduce undergraduate students to a rigorous research environment in which they will develop the competence and confidence to conduct computer science research. Students will work with faculty mentors to choose their research projects, review literature, design and conduct experiments and/or theoretical analyses, and present their work orally and in writing. The structure of summer activities will help students develop autonomy and an understanding of research directions outside their specific project. An introductory overview on the foundations of AI, security, and privacy research will ensure that all participants share a common baseline across all topics. Students will attend talks that highlight research ethics and the diversity of research careers. The eight-week summer program will be hosted at Northwestern University; students will join a supportive research environment at an institute that highly values undergraduate research. All students will receive on-campus housing and meal plans as well as a weekly stipend. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.