Does Compute

Technology has always moved faster than the regulatory process but never this fast. Travis Breaux, an associate professor in the Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science, discusses the challenges of building trustworthy software in the age of AI, including fostering collaboration between developers and lawyers, privacy “smells” and how agentic AI could transform software compliance.

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What role can AI play in clinical settings? Chenyan Xiong, an associate professor in the Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science, says foundation models provide opportunities to handle all kinds of data, including medical imaging, blood tests, data from wearable devices and doctors’ analysis. Xiong is figuring out how to make this sea of data work better together, and how, even at an early stage, AI tools can be paired with this data to improve patient outcomes.

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Can AI foster greater empathy between people? Maarten Sap, an assistant professor in the Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science, thinks it’s possible. He returns to the podcast to talk about cultural adaptation, the value of storytelling and why the ongoing conversation about AI needs nuance.

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From fitness trackers to thermostats, technology is only as useful as it is accessible. But much of the tech we use isn’t designed with ability differences in mind. Patrick Carrington, an assistant professor in Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science, says that considering accessibility in the first place saves everyone headaches down the road.

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Certain corners of the internet are still hubs for human trafficking. But Cara Jones, co-founder and CEO of CMU spin-off Marinus Analytics, thinks ending this kind of exploitation is possible. Learn about how Marinus’s AI tool suite, Traffic Jam, identifies instances of human trafficking online and helps cut the search time for missing children from months to days. Content warning: this episode contains discussions of human trafficking and child exploitation.

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How is neuroscience shaping the future of AI? Aran Nayebi, an assistant professor in the Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science, explains why studying animal behavior can inspire more capable autonomous systems, and what we can learn from cats and zebrafish.

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The use of wearable technology has exploded in the last decade, and along with it, a host of questions about data sharing, privacy and regulation. Chris Harrison, professor in the Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science, joins the podcast to discuss privacy versus convenience, the speed of industry and his enduring optimism about virtual reality.

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Though robots are becoming more capable, training them to move through our world with knowledge that humans intuit is incredibly difficult. But through rethinking the concept of safety, incorporating new kinds of data and finding the value in failure, Andrea Bajcsy, an assistant professor in the Robotics Institute at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science, is trying to do just that.

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How do you start a supersonic jet company from scratch? For Blake Scholl, a computer science degree was the first step. Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic and Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science alum, talks silencing the sonic boom, designing the future of air travel and how a fondness for software informs it all.

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Welcome to Does Compute, the podcast where we explore how computer science is changing our world, from artificial intelligence and robotics to ethics, policy, and culture. In each episode, we meet the people behind the technology and ask the questions driving their work. Does Compute is produced by the Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science in partnership with GeekWire Studios.

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