The newly formed Auburn University Center for Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Engineering (AU-CAICE) rebrands and expands the school's existing cybersecurity research efforts to reflect shifting technologies and growing threats. According to cybersecurity firm Darktrace, 78 percent of chief information security officers say AI-powered cyber threats are having a significant impact on their organizations.
The AU-CAICE brings together 27 faculty members from across disciplines to research and develop AI-driven cybersecurity solutions focusing on three areas: CyberAI, SecureAI and the hybrid SecureCyberAI. CyberAI research focuses on applying AI technologies to cybersecurity issues, while SecureAI flips the script, ensuring that AI technologies themselves are secure.
“SecureCyberAI will be best served by security measures that are real-time, self-healing, anti-fragile arms race systems for securing an AI system,” Gerry Dozier, who will serve as the center’s first director, said in a public statement.
While the university has explored these areas through the Auburn Cyber Research Center (ACRC) in the past, AU-CAICE marks a formal renaming and restructuring of the work, placing AI more at the center. Since 2017, ACRC has produced more than $10 million in research awards, including contracts with the U.S. Army and CIA. In recent years, ACRC has increasingly focused on the intersection of AI and cybersecurity, former ACRC Interim Director Daniel Tauritz said in a public statement.
“The center continues to honor ACRC's commitment to cybersecurity excellence while expanding its reach and impact, ensuring that Auburn remains at the forefront of cybersecurity research and education,” Associate Dean for Research Allan David said in a statement.
In addition to its research and development mission, AU-CAICE will collaborate with student organizations like the Ethical Hacking Club and Society for Responsible AI, as well as research institutes like McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security and the Auburn University Applied Research Institute.
“We want our new center to be nationally recognized for being a team that successfully develops and cultivates scholarly, long-term, extramurally funded research and educational relationships,” Dozier said. “We also want to serve as a hub of an ecosystem that actively collaborates with academia, business and industry, national laboratories, and the government. First and foremost, we want people to see our new center as a tool that can be used to improve their lives and provide them with a competitive advantage.”
Hari Narayanan, a leader of AI initiatives at Auburn, said in a public statement that the launch of AU-CAICE complements recent expansions in the school’s academic offerings, including new undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs in AI.
“The continued emphasis on research and education on these two topics by the department reflects a commitment to excellence and innovation in areas critical to the nation’s future,” he said.
