Nicholas Mattei, PhD

Dr. Nicholas Mattei’s research focuses on the theory and practice of artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and the impact of these technologies on society. He is motivated to both create new systems and technologies as well as educate others about the possibilities and opportunities of computer science. His research leverages theory, data, and experiments to create novel algorithms, mechanisms, and systems that enable and support autonomous agents and/or humans to make better decisions. Dr. Mattei’s projects have included building new algorithms and systems for reasoning with preferences and constraints; answering complex questions; allocation and recommendation; as well as studying the ethics and social ramifications of these systems in the real world. He is the founder and maintainer of https://www.preflib.org/, one of the largest repositories of preference data for research. 

Dr. Mattei is passionate about research, education, and outreach on issues at the intersection of computer science, artificial intelligence, ethics, and society. He was selected as 2020 Leshner Public Engagement Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and has worked through this program to engage the public about his research and teaching. He has received some popular media coverage about his work on using science fiction to teach ethics to computer science students, “Should Computer Scientists Study SF?,” The Guardian as well as work on ethics in artificial intelligence, “IBM explores the intersection of AI, ethics–and Pac-Man,” Fast Company. This has culminated in his forthcoming textbook Computing and Technology Ethics: Engaging through Science Fiction, discussed on the On Good Authority Podcast. 

 

He has published over 80 scholarly works at the top conferences and journals in artificial intelligence and computer science and holds 8 patents or disclosures. According to Google Scholar, he has 3000+ citations and an h-index of 31. He has raised over $1 million USD in external funding from sources including the National Science Foundation (NSF), IBM, Google, and the Department of Education (DoE). With a grant from the Tulane Office of Research, he has supported the establishment of the Tulane Center for Community-Engaged Artificial Intelligence, where he is a co-PI. His work has been covered in a number of popular media outlets including Wired Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and Fast Company. All of his papers are available on my Google Scholar Page or his DBLP Page. He has published with over 100 different collaborators including more than 20 students that he has both formally and informally supervised.