USC Information Sciences Institute

What Would It Take to Eat Breakfast on the Moon? At LA Tech Week, a USC Information Sciences Institute panel explores the infrastructure, policies, and partnerships shaping the new space race.

What would it take to eat breakfast on the moon?

At a recent LA Tech Week panel hosted by ISI, leaders across engineering, policy, and systems design tackled exactly that question, and the answer was far more than just “bring the bacon".

bit.ly/3LO1ttT
@usc.edu @viterbischool.usc.edu

Beyond the Hype: Quantum Computers Start Solving Real Problems At ISI’s LA Tech Week panel, researchers explored how the principles of quantum mechanics are becoming real-world technologies, with high hopes for drug discovery

Quantum computing is moving from theory to impact.

At ISI’s LA Tech Week panel, experts explored how these machines are beginning to solve real problems, like drug design & materials science. Read all about it here: www.isi.edu/news/80522/b...

@usc.edu @viterbischool.usc.edu #quantum

AI Is Powering the Search for America’s Critical Minerals At USC ISI, researchers are using machine learning to unlock data from thousands of maps and build one of the world’s largest knowledge bases of global mineral resources.

Where will America find its next critical mineral supply?
ISI researchers are using #AI to digitize maps & build a massive mining knowledge base, helping predict where undiscovered deposits might be.

🔗 bit.ly/4hH4JD3

Presenting at #SIGSPATIAL and #ISWC this month.

@usc.edu

@viterbischool.usc.edu

California steps up rare earth mining as U.S. seeks to rival China’s control U.S.-China spar over critical minerals

As the U.S. works to reduce dependence on China for #CriticalMinerals, USC Viterbi's Information Sciences Institute's Craig Knoblock and team are using #data to locate untapped deposits, including right here in California. Read about it here --> bit.ly/3JqCGv8
@usc.edu @viterbischool.usc.edu

Space Robotics Platform Astrobee Set for Commercial Transition for ISS Operations USC/ISI hosted researchers and startups to discuss NASA’s Astrobee for next-generation space robotics

Astrobee, NASA’s free-flying platform for testing space robotics & autonomy, will soon be managed by Arkisys, founded by USC’s David Barnhart.

The goal: make it easier for researchers and companies to test real systems in orbit 🚀

More here: bit.ly/3WV31Ex

@usc.edu @viterbischool.usc.edu

Click Here for Confusion: The State of Privacy Settings Finding a privacy setting on social media should be simple. But a new study from USC’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI) shows it’s anything but.

New study finds most social media users want more privacy than platforms provide by default, but struggle to find the settings to change it.

Confusing menus & poor design keep users exposed, even when they try to take control. Read more --> bit.ly/3J9kpm0

@usc.edu @viterbischool.usc.edu

Building a Digital Apprentice Presented at a DARPA tech demo, ISI’s KNIC system supports complex tasks by learning from those who’ve done them before.

🧠 What if AI could learn like a human apprentice?

Our researchers built an #AI system for a #DARPA project that observes experts at work & shares their know-how with others when needed.

Read all about it here --> bit.ly/47fgywG

Robotaxis Keep Riders Safe, But What About Their Data? A collaborative research team with USC ISI expertise finds that existing methods for selecting privacy enhancing technologies are inadequate for real-world robotaxis

🚘 Robotaxis keep riders safe on the road, but what about their data?

A USC ISI-led study finds current methods for choosing privacy-enhancing technologies fall short in real-world scenarios.

Read all about it here --> bit.ly/3KsGzQh

👏 Congrats to students Zhiyi Chen, Jinyi Ye, & Beverlyn Tsai on their Best Student Paper Honorable Mention at ACM Conference on Hypertext! #HT2025

Study found 12% of election images on X were AI-generated; spread mostly by 10% of users; AI posts even drew more positive & less toxic responses.

🚀 Curious about the future of tech? Come tour USC’s Information Sciences Institute during #LATechWeek!
🗓️ Oct 14 • 10:30 AM | Marina del Rey

❄️ Quantum computer colder than space
🛰️ Small satellites + docking tech tested on the ISS
🛡️ Cybersecurity testbeds shaping the future

RSVP 👉 techweek.isi.edu

Cybersecurity Pioneer Terry Benzel Seeks IEEE Computer Society Vice Presidency ISI's Managing Director has built her career at the intersection of research, innovation, and leadership. Now she is bringing that same dedication and vision to one of the world’s largest professional...

Just a few days left to vote for ISI's Managing Director Terry Benzel who is running for Vice President of the IEEE computer society. Watch her candidacy interview: www.isi.edu/news/972882/...

USC ISI Ignites Innovation at LA Tech Week 2025 From quantum breakthroughs to AI panels and a rooftop mixer, tech enthusiasts are invited to join free events in the heart of Silicon Beach during LA Tech Week, October 13-19, 2025

USC ISI is hosting panels, lab tours, and a rooftop mixer during LA Tech Week 2025 🎉

Free + open to the public, Oct 13–19 in Marina del Rey. Come see the future of AI, space, quantum, and more.
Details + RSVP 👉 bit.ly/46kfvKs

Why Your Friends May Be More Susceptible to Influence Than You Are USC/ISI researchers examine who gets influenced online and why, in award-winning research recognized at ICWSM 2025.

The fastest way for the algorithm to influence you? Go through your friends. @isi.edu researchers found that they’re often more influenceable, and that shapes your feed.

Universities Unite to Advance AI-Driven Workflow Management on Modern Cyberinfrastructure New $5M NSF Award Will Power PegasusAI, an AI-Driven Workflow System to Accelerate Science from the Edge to the Cloud and High-Performance Computing

👏 USC’s ISI, w/ @UTK @UMassAmherst & @UNC, has been awarded $5M by NSF to develop PegasusAI—an AI-driven #workflow system designed to help scientists manage & execute complex research across #edge, cloud, & #HPC environments.

@usc.edu @viterbischool.usc.edu
#AI #Cyberinfrastructure

bit.ly/45xnK5g

USC ISI and Stanford HAI Host 2025 AI Index Panel From foundation models to global AI regulation, the expert panel examined the trends, challenges, and opportunities highlighted in this year’s AI Index report

In July, USC ISI and @stanfordhai.bsky.social came together to spotlight the 2025 AI Index Report, with a panel that brought together leading voices from across the AI ecosystem.

Read the highlights: bit.ly/45bQgdV

Uncovering a German Toxic Language Bias in Google’s AI Tool Study finds Perspective API rates German text as more toxic than other languages, which could result in German-language users being censored four times more often than English-language users

A study from the Uni. of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland and USC ISI found that Google’s Perspective API consistently rates German-language texts as significantly more toxic than identical content in English, raising concerns for content moderation.

Read the story: bit.ly/46FIMB3

ISI research reveals the Susceptibility Paradox: your friends are more influenceable than you are! This award-winning work at #ICWSM2025 sheds light on why trends & misinformation catch on online.

Read more: bit.ly/45aq02q

#SocialMedia @usc.edu @viterbischool.usc.edu @csatusc.bsky.social

Ten ISI papers are being presented in Vienna this week at #ACL2025! From #AI teaching and safety to authorship and mime, our researchers are pushing #NLP forward.

bit.ly/454O2vt
@usc.edu @viterbischool.usc.edu

Trump is undermining his own 'action plan' for AI, experts say AI experts warn that the administration is sidestepping safety precautions and ignoring the impacts of research funding cuts and visa restrictions for scientists.

Thoughtful insights from Yolanda Gil, Principal Scientist & Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives in AI and Data Science at ISI, featured in the LA Times story on the Trump administration's new AI Action Plan:

www.latimes.com/politics/new...

@usc.edu @viterbischool.usc.edu #AI @latimes.com

New research by ISI’s Mayank Kejriwal (Daniel J. Epstein Dept. of ISE) shows male ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) students are 3x more likely to drink than females.

Read more: bit.ly/4o1kM1t

#GlobalHealth #PublicHealth @usc.edu @viterbischool.usc.edu @universitypress.cambridge.org

Wrapped up the AI Index panel with rooftop views and great company!

Thanks to everyone who joined us for some sunshine and refreshments after a packed afternoon discussing the most critical trends in AI.

Read @stanfordhai.bsky.social's 2025 AI Index Report: hai.stanford.edu/ai-index/202...

Packed room for today’s AI Index event! Co-hosted by @stanfordhai.bsky.social and USC ISI.

We had a fascinating panel featuring Ray Perrault, Yolanda Gil, Karl Jacob, Karina Montilla Edmonds, and moderator Vanessa Parli. Thanks for joining us!

🔗 More about the AI Index: hai.stanford.edu/ai-index

ISI/nsiders, ISI's podcast, is hosted by AI Division Director Adam Russell.
⁠
In this episode, Steve Crago, Associate Director at ISI, shares his experiences in how preparation and luck relate to success.
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Listen here: bit.ly/44Velp6

🚨 New research from ISI, @annenberg.usc.edu & @viterbischool.usc.edu tracks real-time impact of #AI on #jobs.
Some roles (like software engineer, maintenance tech) are seeing high exposure; others (HR, legal) much less.
But more AI doesn’t always mean more pay.
Full story 👉 bit.ly/4nxulFf
@usc.edu

Join us tomorrow for a cybersecurity seminar w/ Jade Sheffley, a Ph.D. student at UMass Amherst’s SPIN lab, introducing CensorLab, a new emulation platform for studying and testing tools to fight Internet censorship.

More info here --> bit.ly/3I7q6ji

Big news from #ICWSM2025!

"The Susceptibility Paradox in Online Social Influence” by @luceriluc.bsky.social, @jinyiye.bsky.social, Julie Jiang & @emilioferrara.bsky.social was named a Top 5 Paper & won Best Paper Honorable Mention!

👏 Congrats to all!

New ISI study looked @ 3.5M tweets abt abortion.

Liberals & conservatives used different arguments but matched each other’s hostility. One place they overlapped: talking about exceptions related to health & safety

Read more: 🔗: bit.ly/44kEJHE

#AbortionDebate #Polarization #AI #ICWSM

ISI/nsiders, ISI's podcast, is hosted by AI Division Director Adam Russell.
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In this episode, Terry Benzel, the Associate Director of ISI, discusses discusses why fostering connection and communication is so vital to teamwork.⁠
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Listen here: bit.ly/4li1bI8

📢 You are invited: AI Index on July 17, 2025 at 4PM
Location: USC Information Sciences Institute in Los Angeles
PANEL AND NETWORKING EVENT
Hosted by Stanford AI Index and ISI

📅 REGISTER NOW: lnkd.in/gNEfEqD9

🇩🇰 Catch our work in Copenhagen this week! From #AI & labor to #TikTok in crises, #ISI researchers are presenting 11 papers at #ICWSM25, all asking the question: how do online systems shape our lives?

More here --> bit.ly/3ZLxfMi

@icwsm.bsky.social
@usc.edu
@viterbischool.usc.edu