EECS Seminar: Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence for Securing Tranportation Systems

Abstract:  Artificial intelligence (AI) techniques are being applied to numerous applications from health care to cyber security to finance. For example, Machine learning (ML) algorithms are being applied to solve security problems such as malware analysis and insider threat detection. However, there are many challenges in applying ML algorithms for various applications. For example, the ML algorithms may violate the privacy of individuals. This is because we can gather massive amounts of data and apply ML algorithms on the data to extract highly sensitive information. Also, ML algorithms may show bias and be unfair to various segments of the population, and finally, ML algorithms themselves may be attacked possibly resulting in catastrophic errors including in cyber physical systems such as transportation systems. 

In this presentation, we discuss the research we are conducting as part of the USDOT National University Technology Center TraCR (Transportation Cybersecurity and Resiliency) led by Clemson University. In particular, we describe (i) the application of federated machine learning techniques for detecting attacks in transportation systems; (ii) publishing synthetic transportation data sets that preserves privacy, (iii) fairness algorithms for transportation systems, and (iv) examining how GenAI systems are being integrated with transportation systems to provide security.  Finally, we discuss resiliency issues with respect to transportation systems where such systems and applications must continue to operate in the midst of attacks and failures.

Bio:  Bhavani Thuraisingham is the Founders Chair Professor of Computer Science and the founding executive director of the Cyber Security Research and Education Institute at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). She is an elected fellow of the ACM, IEEE, AAAS and NAI. Her research interests are on integrating cyber security and artificial intelligence/data science including how they relate to the cloud, social media and transportation systems. She has received several technical, education and leadership awards including the IEEE CS 1997 Edward J. McCluskey Technical Achievement Award, the IEEE CS 2023 Taylor L. Booth Education Award, ACM SIGSAC 2010 Outstanding Contributions Award, the IEEE Comsoc Communications and Information Security 2019 Technical Recognition Award, the IEEE CS Services Computing 2017 Research Innovation Award, the ACM CODASPY 2017 Lasting Research Award, and the ACM SACMAT 10 Year Test of Time Awards for 2018 and 2019 (for papers published in 2008 and 2009). Her 44-plus year career includes industry (Honeywell), federal research laboratory (MITRE), U.S. government (NSF) and U.S. academia. Her work has resulted in more than 140 journal articles, 300 conference papers, 200 keynote and featured addresses, seven U.S. patents, 16 books, and over 120 panel presentations including at Fortune Media, Lloyds of London Insurance, Dell Technologies World, United Nations, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. She has also written opinion columns for popular venues such as the New York Times, Inc. Magazine, Womensday.com and the Legal 500, She received her doctorate from the University of Wales, Swansea, UK, and a D. Eng. from the University of Bristol, UK. She also has a Certificate in Public Policy Analysis from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She has been featured in the book by the ACM in 2024 titled: “Rendering History: The Women of ACM-W” as one of the 30+ “Women that Changed the Face of World Wide Computing Forever.”