Mason researchers Dave Lattanzi, Brenda Bannan, and Amarda Shehu are leading the new Center for Advancing Human-Machine Partnership. Photo by Ron Aira
Advancing HumanMachine Partnerships Your smartphone reminds you to go to a meeting. Pop-up ads recommend items you might want to purchase. Chatbots converse with you about shopping. Technology is woven into the fabric of our lives, and in the future, machines will be smarter and play an even bigger role in the workplace, education, and everyday tasks, says Mason Engineering’s Amarda Shehu, a professor of computer science. There will be an increasing interconnectedness between computing systems and the people who use them, agrees Dave Lattanzi, an associate professor of civil engineering. This interconnectedness will need to be transparent and interactive so people trust the systems they are working with, adds Brenda Bannan, an associate professor in the Division
28 VOLGENAU SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING ANNUAL REPORT 2020
