2019 Guest Scholar De’Aira Bryant

DE’AIRA BRYANT
Ph.D. Student
Georgia Institute of Technology

De’Aira Bryant is a second-year doctoral student in the School of Interactive Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research areas span the fields of human-robot interaction and artificial intelligence. As a graduate researcher in the Human-Automation Systems (HumAnS) Lab, her studies explore the possibilities for social and interactive communication between children and intelligent embodied systems. In particular, she takes interest in developing intelligent rehabilitative systems for children with various motor disabilities.

As a computing advocate for children, De’Aira has also investigated the effectiveness of upcoming AI software for applications which cater to youthful audiences. Her recent work, presented at the 2019 AAAI/ACM conference on AI, Ethics & Society, warns of the potential societal implications of premature adaptation of such technologies. She is especially passionate about the fair and ethical use of AI for social good and the protection of vulnerable populations.

Prior to attending Georgia Tech for her graduate studies, De’Aira graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics. She is a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, the National GEM Consortium Fellowship, and the Lillie J. James Computer Science award. Hailing from the small town of Estill, South Carolina, De’Aira is also an active volunteer in a variety of computer science and robotics outreach programs.