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Nicholas Papernot (photo by Matthew Tierney)

Nicolas Papernot receives AI2050 Early Career Fellowship from Schmidt Sciences

Nicolas Papernot, an assistant professor in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering at the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, has been named an .

Awarded by Schmidt Sciences, the fellowship encourages young researchers to pursue bold and multidisciplinary research in AI for societal benefit.

Papernot was recognized for his project on a technical framework for future AI regulation, which builds on multidisciplinary collaboration with Professor Lisa Austin from U of T鈥檚 Faculty of Law and Professor Xiao Wang of Northwestern University鈥檚 department of computer science.

The team is exploring how a protocol borrowed from cryptography, called zero-knowledge proof (ZKP), can verify whether an AI model was developed in compliance with certain rules. Their research comes as governments around the world prepare legislation to address the growing power of AI.

鈥淭he scope of what we鈥檙e trying to achieve is very ambitious,鈥 says Papernot, who is cross-appointed to the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science and is a faculty member at the Vector Institute and a faculty affiliate at the Schwartz Reisman Institute. 鈥淲e鈥檙e asking how AI will impact society, essentially. It鈥檚 hard to do that from just one discipline鈥檚 perspective. Thankfully, the Schmidt Sciences organization has stepped up to provide the space needed for such highly exploratory and complex research.鈥

鈥淎s AI technology continues to evolve, it is imperative to simultaneously advance the regulatory and technological frameworks that ensure its safe and ethical use,鈥 says Professor Deepa Kundur, chair of the department of electrical and computer engineering. 鈥淧rofessor Papernot鈥檚 work is pivotal because it not only mitigates risks, but also maximizes the technology鈥檚 application potential, making it a cornerstone for future innovations.鈥

Engineering