20 Questions with an AI Leader
From a ‘non-traditional’ past, Damon Woodard would become an expert in the technology of the future. Here, he shares the best advice he ever received, whether he’s an Apple or Android guy, and how dropping out of high school shaped him.
Who: DAMON WOODARD, Artificial intelligence expert and director of AI Partnerships for the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
Damon Woodard grew up in New Orleans, the son of a pipefitter at a Navy shipyard and a homemaker. He received his Ph.D. in computer science and engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 2005 and is currently an associate professor within the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. He is also a member of the Florida Institute for Cybersecurity Research. His research interests include artificial intelligence, image analysis, machine learning, profiling and biometrics.
Woodard sees significant growth in AI in the coming years – in medicine, transportation, agriculture, security and more. “Most of the focus has been on automation,” he says, “but I believe there will be major advances in the area of human/AI collaboration during the next five years.”
Woodard took the time to answer a few questions – from silly to serious – for Gator Nation News.