Cecilia Aragon
University of Washington
Biography: DR. CECILIA ARAGON is an award-winning author, airshow pilot, and the first Latina to earn the rank of Full Professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Washington in its 100-year history.
She’s worked with Nobel Prize winners and has taught astronauts to fly. Her innovative research, and a stint at NASA designing software for Mars missions, led President Obama to call her “one of the top scientists and engineers in the country.” In addition to her love of math and science, she’s passionate about helping others face their own fears and challenges to achieve their goals.
Her award-winning memoir, Flying Free (2020), shares her journey of breaking past her own fears to become a champion aerobatic pilot. It debuted on five bestseller lists and is a TODAY Show and Hip Latina Recommended Read. Her 2019 book, Writers in the Secret Garden, takes a close look at the fascinating world of fanfiction to explore how young people express themselves. Her latest book, Human-Centered Data Science (2022), is an accessible guide to best practices for addressing bias and inequality in data science and artificial intelligence. Learn more at CeciliaAragonAuthor.com.
Talk Title: What is Human-Centered AI and Why Does It Matter?
Online Via ZOOM | Mar 15, 2023 | 17:00 – 17:50 (UTC+2)
Abstract: While extraordinary advances in our ability to collect, analyze, and interpret vast amounts of data have been transforming the fundamental nature of artificial intelligence (AI), the human aspects of artificial intelligence, including how to support scientific creativity and human insight, how to address ethical concerns, and the consideration of societal impacts, have been less studied. Yet these human issues are becoming increasingly vital to the future of AI. I will reflect on a 30-year career in data science and AI in industry, government, and academia, discuss what it means for AI to be both rigorous and human-centered, and speculate upon future directions for data science and AI.