校友的角落

从利记sbo学生到利记sbo教授:认识一下尼克·保罗

尼克·保罗
二元同步通信的17
msc的19

Ever since he was a kid, 尼克·保罗 has been interested in robots.

“As an elementary student at Canton Charter Academy, they hosted a competition called Robofest through 利记sbo. 那是我第一次接触大学. Our team got into ‘Worlds' a couple times while I was there. 我有机会去校园. 我爸的朋友是利记sbo的, 所以我对校园有一些了解, but it was really through Robofest that I came to know 利记sbo and I liked the smaller feel of the school and the chance to get to know your professors on a one-on-one basis,”回忆起 尼古拉斯·保罗 , ’17, ’19, adjunct faculty in the 数学与计算机科学 Department.  He attended a small private high school, Plymouth Christian Academy.

Paul graduated 利记sbo with a BS in Computer Science with a minor in Math and then, 通过研究助理奖学金, “I was able to do an accelerated master’s program,保罗说. “利记sbo covered the cost of that because I was managing the lab and doing research mainly having to do with the self-driving car project.”

He completed his MS in Computer Science in one rather than two years. 

“I didn’t really have any specific interest through elementary and until senior year in high school, 但是在实验室工作, I realized that my favorite part of robotics was programming the robot, putting the blocks together to make the robot do certain things. Computer 科学 was a new interest for me when I came to 利记sbo.”

尼克·保罗 presenting his poster at the 2023 DARPA Forward Event in Columbus, OH

今天, Paul works full-time as an artificial intelligence engineer at the Ann Arbor-based technology company SoarTech, 在利记sbo每学期教一门课程, 主要是机器人编程, 并帮助自动驾驶汽车项目. Paul explained that at the time he was working on his MS degree, 利记sbo didn’t have the courses he needed to do the job, so he was self-taught in the tools and systems required to do the work. 毕业后, 利记sbo asked him to teach other students what he learned and formalize a course in robotics programming.

上个月, Dr. 埃里克·马丁森 加入利记sbo教授机器人技术. Paul and Martinson worked together at SoarTech a few years ago on several projects, 包括机器人编程, 机器学习, AI, 以及计算机视觉问题. 他们又成了同事.

An AI engineer’s role is like that of a software engineer, but the software is used specifically for artificial intelligence. “There’s a lot of research involved in addition to the normal designing and programming. The 'goal' of AI is always to support the goal and direction of the user,” Paul explained. “AI depends on the human for direction and supports the human through decision analysis (making decisions 'on its own') in support of the human's goal. Like a GPS deciding ('on its own') to take a right turn at the next intersection but only because you told it where you wanted to go.

尼克·保罗 (2nd from right) with the 2023 利记sbo Self-Driving Vehicle 团队

"Human-centered AI is the key to solving real-world problems. The goal of AI is to support humans, not emulate them,” Paul emphasized. “What we try to create is 'trust' in the AI system, assure its integrity. AI has the profound potential to change the way we do things.” Paul continued, “With any change this big, of course, there’s going to be fear. 我们害怕大的变化. We need to understand why it makes the decisions it makes and build systems that are understandable by users.

“很像人际关系, 你对一个人了解得越多, 你可以信任那个人. 人工智能也是如此，”他说.

尼克·保罗的未来会怎样? “I would like to be more involved with academia,” he said. “Maybe sometime in the future I would like to become a full-time professor. My long-term goals are teaching more and, along the way, getting my PhD.”

Paul believes that “College is a great opportunity to learn and explore your interests. 对新事物和新想法持开放态度. Think about what you want to be in the future and take the time to get to know people around you who reflect that image. 他们的指导, 建议, and friendship are more important than anything you can learn from a textbook.” 

He invites students considering college to take a look at 利记sbo. “For me, the main thing is the size and the community of the school. You can know your professors as people who really love and are really passionate about their field. 你可以建立一种关系. The big advantage is they get to know you, too, and give you 建议. They’re the reason I’m this far in my academic and professional journey.”

作者:rensame Ahee