Imagine having to predict future problems related to U.S. national security. No pressure, right? Dr. Stephen M. Fiore, a UCF Cognitive Sciences professor with the Department of Philosophy, and Director of the Cognitive Sciences Laboratory at the Institute of Simulation & Training, was selected by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to join a team of 30 scientists and engineers tasked with this role.
Established by DARPA in 1987, the Information Sciences and Technology (ISAT) Study Group examines important emerging areas of technological development to provide independent assessment of the state of advanced information science and technology for the U.S. government. More broadly, “this group develops ideas based on gaps in the body of knowledge we have about the world, and how technology affects these gaps” said Fiore.
Fiore is working alongside experts from institutions such as Stanford, Cornell and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“I’m looking forward to working with such an esteemed group of intellectuals,” said Fiore. “It will be interesting to share ideas and build knowledge with them about the complex problems facing society.”
During the three-year term that began this summer, the ISAT will perform several large studies. Each member is slated to lead or co-lead at least one study during their tenure.
One of the fields Fiore is beginning to explore as an ISAT member is artificial intelligence and how it can help address the needs and problems of society.
“We’ve been approved for a study to explore how AI can be developed to work with human teammates as an actual member of a team”, said Fiore. This ties into his larger research interests involving how to create hybrid human-machine teams capable of solving some of the world’s most significant and challenging problems.
Read more about Fiore: Philosophy Professor collaborates on journal focused on “collective behavior”.