WHAT IF WE DIDN'T STAY IN OUR LANE?

Pictured: Feifei Qian and Spirit, a bio-inspired robot dog designed to support NASA’s future missions. Photo credit: Justin Durner

A person standing on top of a sand dune next to a robot, with a clear blue sky in the background., image

The biggest questions don't belong to one discipline. Neither do the answers.

The USC Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence amplifies computing and AI across USC’s 23 schools.

Based within the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, we bring researchers, students and the community together to advance computing and AI, and explore how technology can improve lives, expand creativity and serve society.

A landmark naming gift.

In 2026, USC Trustee Mark Stevens, and his wife Mary, gave $200 million to power computing and AI research across USC.

The university named the USC Mark and Mary Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, honoring their investment in research and innovation at the intersections of AI and health sciences, business, security and the arts.

$200
Million

A historic investment in the future of computing and AI

23 Schools

Amplifying computing across every discipline at USC

100+ Faculty

Advancing AI and computing across disciplines, industries and society

"The biggest challenges we face won’t be solved by one discipline alone. That’s where
computing becomes transformative."

Gaurav Sukhatme

Dean (Interim), USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Director, USC Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence

READ THE STATE OF THE SCHOOL ADDRESS →

FOUR FOUNDING FORCES
ONE SCHOOL.

The school brings together four leading departments and research institutes, connecting computing and AI with disciplines across all 23 USC schools.

THOMAS LORD DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

From foundational computer science to the technologies shaping what comes next, since 1976.

MING HSIEH DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Advancing the hardware, systems and intelligence behind an increasingly connected world.

INSTITUTE FOR CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIES

Pioneering immersive technologies, virtual humans and AI for learning, training and beyond.

INFORMATION SCIENCES INSTITUTE

Driving foundational advances in computing, AI and the technologies that connect our world.

COMPUTING THAT DOESN'T
STOP AT THE DOOR.

See what happens when computing and AI meet expertise from across USC.

COMPUTING × MEDICINE
What if medical imaging fit even the smallest patients?

USC researchers have developed custom, 3D-printed MRI sensors that take minutes to make at a fraction of the cost and give doctors clearer views of small organs in infants and children.

Pictured: Krishna Nayak, professor of electrical and computer engineering, biomedical engineering and radiology.

COMPUTING × SOCIAL WORK
What if we could make housing allocation fairer?
USC’s Center for AI in Society is developing tools to help match people experiencing homelessness with housing suited to their needs—making allocation fairer and more effective.

Pictured: Jaspreet Ranjit, PhD student, who used large language models to analyze 2.4 million social media posts about homelessness, revealing shifts in public attitudes.

COMPUTING × ENERGY
What if computing could use less energy?
USC researchers are designing hardware to cut computing’s energy use and its environmental footprint.

Pictured: Murali Annavaram, professor, energy-efficiency researcher and 5,000-mile-a-year bicycle commuter.

WHAT IF WE COULD KEEP AI'S ACTIONS IN CHECK?

As AI agents gain the power to act on our behalf, USC computer scientist Yue Zhao and his team are developing tools to check their permissions, block risky actions and trace their decisions, helping humans stay in control.

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CAN AI OPTIMIZE THE WORLD'S MOST COMPLEX SYSTEMS?

As complex systems push computational limits, USC computer scientist Bistra Dilkina is co-leading a $20M national institute renewal, fusing machine learning with advanced optimization to secure our power grids, supply chains, and emergency response networks.

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Computing × Medicine

Can we decode DNA to help fight cancer?

Remo Rohs uses machine learning and computational biology to understand how cancer-related mutations change the way proteins interact with DNA.

Computing × Privacy

What if your AI didn’t need the cloud?

Joshua Yang and his team have developed an atomically thin device that could enable denser memory chips, bringing powerful AI closer to running on your phone without sending your data to the cloud.

Computing × Philosophy

Can we build AI we can trust?

Computer scientist Yan Liu and philosopher John Hawthorne lead USC’s Institute on Ethics and Trust in Computing, bringing technical expertise and ethical inquiry together to guide responsible AI development.

Computing × Rehabilitation

Can computing help us rethink physical rehabilitation?

Francisco Valero-Cuevas combines AI, robotics and biomechanics to understand human movement and develop technologies that support rehabilitation for athletes and people with disabilities.

Computing × Innovation

What if the breakthrough is only the beginning?

Andrea Belz studies what it takes to move deep-tech research from the lab into the world — and how investment, policy and talent shape emerging industries such as semiconductors.

READ THE STORY →

A HISTORY OF
COMPUTING FIRSTS

From pioneering the .com domain system at ISI and inventing DNA computing to operating academia’s first quantum system and launching early 'AI for Good' centers, USC has spent four decades pushing computing boundaries.