A new AI developed at Georgia Tech, the Jill Social Agent, was designed and launched in 2019 to explicitly connect students quickly and get them working together. The agent was developed in part as a response to high attrition rates that plague online learning in general. We like to think of it as 'speed friending.'The lead architect for the Jill Social Agent, Ida Camacho, OMSCS ’19, discusses with us on Tech Unbound what the social agent can do. It’s a fascinating inside look at Camacho’s approach to building social structures for online education and her own journey as an OMSCS student.Ida Camacho: http://dilab.gatech.edu/ida-camacho/Georgia Tech in the IBM AI XPrize Competition: http://emprize.gatech.edu/Transcript: Coming Soon>>>>>>>>>>>>>>CREDITS:Produced and hosted by Joshua Preston (Contact: jpreston@cc.gatech.edu) Audio engineering by Tim Trent and Stephen JenkinsMusic from https://filmmusic.io:"Overriding Concern" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Music from https://filmmusic.io:"Rocket" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Tech Unbound

EP10: Online Education Gets a Social Boost with Artificial Intelligence

So esports, or electronic sports, have arrived. Want proof? Recent ABC telecasts aired Overwatch videogame matches on Saturday mornings – prime time for major sports specials – and the esports industry hit $1 billion in revenue in 2019. The fanbase is also projected to beat the NBA’s by some 100 million viewers in 2020. So what is this esports thing? Esports involve videogame players competing in various games for bragging rights and money with fans rooting for their favorites, a lot like traditional sports.Laura Levy, Georgia Tech’s resident expert in esports, sheds some light on this phenomenon and shares research efforts focused on this growing ecosystem. These include projects on the mental and physical health of players, technologies to support viewers and players, and how esports might be a definitive way to get the kids immersed in STEM.Laura Levy: https://lauralevy.science/Transcript: Coming Soon>>>>>>>>>>>>>>CREDITS:Produced and hosted by Joshua Preston (Contact: jpreston@cc.gatech.edu) Audio engineering by Tim Trent and Stephen JenkinsMusic from https://filmmusic.io:"Overriding Concern" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Music from https://filmmusic.io:"Rocket" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

EP 9: Esports Have Arrived and It’s a Whole New Ball Game

As far as first responder work goes, the firefighter profession tops the danger list. So can wearable computing tech help firefighters stay safer at emergency scenes or rescue the occasional cat in a tree? Researchers in the Participatory Publics Lab were able to provide an answer after studying two Georgia fire departments and their personnels’ use of a new commercial biometric device that measures vital signs while working.Lead researcher Alyssa Rumsey shares details about firefighter culture, their use of technology, and how, before breathing apparatuses, firefighters used their beards as filters when at a fire scene.Alyssa Rumsey: http://www.arumsey.com/News: https://gvu.gatech.edu/hg/item/625193Research: https://ledantec.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/disfp1096-rumsey.pdfTranscript: https://gvu.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/tu_e8_alyssarumsey.txt>>>>>>>>>>>>>>CREDITS:Produced and hosted by Joshua Preston (Contact: jpreston@cc.gatech.edu) Audio engineering by Tim Trent and Stephen JenkinsMusic from https://filmmusic.io:"Overriding Concern" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Music from https://filmmusic.io:"Rocket" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

EP8: Don’t Get Burned. Understanding Tech Adoption Among Firefighters

A Georgia Tech group called the Expressive Machinery Lab is tackling a specific challenge in the artificial intelligence landscape - they have developed public exhibitions where the AI agents are front-and-center and people are able to create with them. Duri Long joins the Tech Unbound podcast to talk about this research, and she shares some wild anecdotes from her time as a show runner and curator of some of these AI-powered exhibits. Duri Long: http://www.durilong.com/News: https://gvu.gatech.edu/hg/item/624291Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1juBtnJjTk&list=PLqbYO_bYE2ClHihmAEMrP2FtqE6qpXnSF Research: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53c69580e4b08011fc2337bf/t/5cc86c049b747a5b380f3a1c/1556638754394/Designing_Co_Creative_AI_for_Public_Spaces-CAMERA+READY.pdfTranscript: https://gvu.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/tu_e7.txt>>>>>>>>>>>>>>CREDITS:Produced and hosted by Joshua Preston (Contact: jpreston@cc.gatech.edu) Audio engineering by Tim TrentMusic from https://filmmusic.io:"Overriding Concern" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Music from https://filmmusic.io:"Rocket" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

EP7: AIs and People Create Something Beautiful

People are going to have a wide variety of reactions to artificially intelligent systems when we start working with them regularly. In this episode, we discuss a new AI-enabled software system for video game developers and the reaction some gamedevs had to the AI creative partner when it was introduced into their workflow.We are joined by Matthew Guzdial, a newly minted Georgia Tech graduate with a Ph.D. in Computer Science. He shares part of his journey in computational creativity, details about some of the AI systems he’s created, and what an AI-enabled future might look like for people looking to get creative.Matthew Guzdial's website: http://guzdial.com/index.htmlMatthew's Ph.D. journey in one (interactive) picture: https://tabsoft.co/2YiL1IrRead More: https://gvu.gatech.edu/hg/item/621721Transcript: https://gvu.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/tu_e6_matthew_guzdial_final_human_transcribed.txt>>>>>>>>>>>>>>CREDITS:Produced and hosted by Joshua Preston (Contact: jpreston@cc.gatech.edu) Guest Co-Host: David Mitchell (Producer of The Interaction Hour Podcast)Audio engineering by Tim TrentMusic from https://filmmusic.io:"Overriding Concern" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Music from https://filmmusic.io:"Rocket" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

EP6: Video Game Developers React in Wildly Different Ways to AI-Enabled Software

Robots are a rare sighting outside industrial settings. In the home, only the Roomba vacuuming robot rivals any of our incumbent appliances. Sure, our coffee maker may soon talk to us while brewing that morning pick-me-up or the refrigerator may order more milk and eggs if we’re running low, but there are physical challenges to solve before getting more robots in the home.Georgia Tech researchers recently came up with a simple, scalable, and cost-effective way machines might be able to fetch things around the house, and do it without accidentally scratching the fine china or knocking things over. Zackory Erickson, a roboticist at Georgia Tech, joins us on Tech Unbound to share what this new method involves and what it might mean for future domestic robots.VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBv_xEai2AUZACKORY'S WEBSITE: http://zackory.com/GITHUB DATASET: https://github.com/Healthcare-Robotics/smm50>>>>>>>>>>>>>>CREDITS:Produced and hosted by Joshua Preston (Contact: jpreston@cc.gatech.edu)Audio engineering by Tim TrentMusic from https://filmmusic.io:"Overriding Concern" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Music from https://filmmusic.io:"Rocket" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

EP5: Robot Able to Instantly Identify Household Materials Without Touching Objects

How do dogs get jobs? Well first they have to go to dog school, but not every dog makes the grade. Finding out if canines have the right temperament to become service animals or train for other jobs takes time and money. On this episode of Tech Unbound, Ceara Byrne shares how her team can predict the suitability of service animals by using smart dog toys. Yes, that’s right, dogs are getting their own smart devices to help them get ready for the job market.RELATED LINKS:Instrumented Dog Toys: https://www.cearabyrne.com/project/instrumenteddogtoys/Ceara Byrne's homepage:https://www.cearabyrne.com/>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>CREDITS:Produced and hosted by Joshua Preston (Contact: jpreston@cc.gatech.edu)Audio engineering by Tim TrentMusic from https://filmmusic.io:"Overriding Concern" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Music from https://filmmusic.io:"Rocket" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

EP4: Smart Toys Reducing Time, Cost of Service Dog Training

We lean on data a lot - in catching bad guys to making hiring decisions and even planning the weekly grocery list. But we’re biased creatures and can sometimes get it wrong the first time. Emily Wall, an expert in data visualization and visual analytics, discusses how technology can allow us to better understand how we interact with visual data and use that understanding to make better decisions.RELATED LINKS:VIDEO - Warning, Bias May Occur: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9LWi3oXjM0&feature=youtu.beFULL TALK - Warning, Bias May Occur:https://vimeo.com/238344585Emily Wall's homepage:https://www.cc.gatech.edu/~ewall9/>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>CREDITS:Produced and hosted by Joshua Preston (Contact: jpreston@cc.gatech.edu)Audio engineering by Tim TrentMusic from https://filmmusic.io:"Overriding Concern" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Music from https://filmmusic.io:"Rocket" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

EP3: Battling Bias and Making Better Decisions Using Visual Data Interactions

Winter has arrived. The end of a pop culture era is here with the final episode of HBO’s Game of Thrones airing on Sunday. Fans of the show express their fandom in many different ways, but none quite like those at Georgia Tech.On today’s show, we discuss an interactive data visualization that analyzes the color and dialogue in every single minute of every single episode of the first six seasons of the hugely popular television fantasy show based on the book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. Host Joshua Preston talks with Fred Hohman, Ph.D. student in computational science and engineering and computer science, one of the creators of the data visualization that is aptly named "A Viz and Ice and Fire." It’s an homage to the show that you just might geek out over as you prepare for Sunday’s finale.RELATED LINKS:Explore "A Viz of Ice and Fire - Summarizing Entertainment Video Using Color and Dialogue": https://fredhohman.com/a-viz-of-ice-and-fire/Explore the data:https://github.com/fredhohman/a-viz-of-ice-and-fireMore Georgia Tech love for Game of Thrones:https://www.news.gatech.edu/features/science-ice-and-fire>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>CREDITS:Podcast produced and hosted by Joshua Preston (Contact: jpreston@cc.gatech.edu)Audio engineering by Tim TrentMusic from https://filmmusic.io:"Overriding Concern" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Music from https://filmmusic.io:"Rocket" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

EP2: Computers Dissect Every Minute of HBO's Game of Thrones to Reveal the Show's Dominant Colors and Dialogue

Why did the frog cross the road? Georgia Tech’s newest artificial intelligence (AI) system plays the video game Frogger and can offer up explanations to human spectators about why it makes each move.Upol Ehsan, Ph.D. student in the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech, talks about the AI system. The work takes a formative step towards understanding the role of natural language AI explanations and how humans perceive them. It’s a human-centered approach to developing AI agents, one that Upol says is needed in order to make black-boxed AI systems explainable to everyday users.RELATED LINKS:BLOG POSTGEORGIA TECH’S NEWEST AI SYSTEM CAN MIMIC THINKING OUT LOUD AND EXPLAIN ITS DECISION TO NON-EXPERTS IN REAL-TIME (https://mlatgt.blog/2019/04/09/georgia-techs-newest-ai-system-can-mimic-thinking-out-loud-and-explain-its-decision-to-non-experts-in-real-time/)RESEARCH PAPERUpol Ehsan, Pradyumna Tambwekar, Larry Chan, Brent Harrison, and Mark O. Riedl. Automated rationale generation: A technique for explainable AI and its effects on human perceptions (https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.03729). In Proceedings of the 2019 ACM International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces, 2019.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>CREDITS:Podcast produced and hosted by Joshua Preston (Contact: jpreston@cc.gatech.edu)Audio engineering by Tim TrentMusic from https://filmmusic.io:"Overriding Concern" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Music from https://filmmusic.io:"Rocket" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

EP1: A.I. Agent Plays Frogger and Convinces Spectators It Knows What It’s Doing

Take a deep dive into human-focused technology and computing research in the GVU Center at Georgia Tech. Each episode focuses on a cutting-edge innovation, its impact, and how the experts pulled it off. In the GVU Center, we’re keeping the human in the loop.