USC-Amazon center to support novel approaches to trust-centric ML solutions

The USC-Amazon center will provide support for research projects focused on novel approaches to secure and privacy-preserving machine learning solutions that can scale to support billions of users. The center will also provide annual fellowships to talented doctoral students working in this research area so that they can advance research frontiers.

Amazon and the University of Southern California (USC) have joined forces to establish a joint research center aimed at supporting novel approaches to trust-centric machine learning (ML) and AI innovation.

The Center for Secure and Trusted Machine Learning will be housed at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering in Los Angeles, California and focus on the development of new approaches to machine learning privacy, security, and trustworthiness.

The USC-Amazon center will provide support for research projects focused on novel approaches to secure and privacy-preserving machine learning solutions that can scale to support billions of users. The center - via its Amazon ML Fellows program - will also provide annual fellowships to exceptional doctoral students working in this research area so that they can advance research frontiers.

"I am pleased the USC-Amazon center will build a platform based on a shared commitment to advancing the understanding and developing solutions. The center reflects the important role that our university has in society, as a leading research institution, in promoting the advancement of scholarship and technology," said USC Provost Charles F. Zukoski.

Additionally, the collaborators will host an annual joint public research symposium to share their knowledge with the ML and AI communities. Amazon and USC will also host annual workshops and training and recruiting events for university and high school students.

The USC-Amazon center is expected to unleash a new line of fundamental research on privacy and security aspects of machine learning as AI is proliferating across all aspects of society - from education to finance, transportation, healthcare, and many others.

Commenting on the collaboration, Prem Natarajan, Alexa AI vice president of Natural Understanding, said, "We are delighted to bring together top talent at Amazon and USC in a joint mission to drive ground-breaking advances in privacy and security preserving machine learning - advances that enable us to continue to safely and securely deliver experiences that enrich and delight our customers worldwide."