Ahmed Abbasi
Joe and Jane Giovanini Professor of IT, Analytics, and Operations; Co-Director of the Human-centered Analytics Lab; and Director of the Ph.D. in Analytics at the Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business
People’s preferences, attitudes, and abilities impact how they behave, whether they ignore a warning about a phishing email, or disregard a reminder about an important doctor’s appointment. However, in real-time settings, understanding how people feel or what they think can be challenging. Professor Ahmed Abbasi studies how machine learning can be used to understand people in order to design more effective AI-guided interventions. By better aligning security warnings, consumers and employees are five times less likely to fall for a phishing attack. Using messaging that better resonates, patients at risk of heart disease cancel fewer appointments. His work shows how AI can empower people to make more informed decisions.
Abbasi, whose work aligns with the University's new Data, AI, and Computing Initiative, said he had always been interested in how AI can be used to enhance decision-making and improve the human condition. He said he got tired of seeing smart, rational people, including friends, family members, and colleagues, choose not to engage in protective behaviors.
“We are all familiar with the concept of ‘the last mile.’ In logistics, up to half of the total delivery cost comes from the last mile. In telecommunications, getting fiber into residential homes is equally challenging. Similarly, ‘the last research mile’ relates to the challenges of moving research from theory to practice, from the lab to the field, from academic rigor to real-world relevance. This is what brought me to Notre Dame some years ago. The University attracts faculty and students who want to ‘go the last research mile’ by exploring impactful problems, using interdisciplinary methods, and testing interventions in real-world settings with implications for policy and practice.”
