Virtual humans speaking with museumgoers about their experiences surviving the Holocaust. A phone app giving soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder a mental health specialist in their pocket. Computer-generated actors populating many top Hollywood films and bestselling video games.

The USC Institute for Creative Technologies has been at the forefront of augmented and virtual reality technology such as these since its founding in 1999. The institute conducts cutting-edge research in key computing areas such as artificial intelligence, computer graphics, geospatial sciences and many others.

These technological breakthroughs, positioned near Hollywood and the Silicon Beach tech corridor in west Los Angeles, have earned ICT numerous plaudits, including two Academy Awards, 29 patents and hundreds of thousands of citations. Three ICT researchers have been named fellows of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, the world’s foremost AI research organization.

These accomplishments and more were on display at the ICT 25th anniversary event held Aug. 19 at the center’s headquarters in Playa Vista within Silicon Beach.

“ICT is truly one of the most wonderful beacons for exploration and innovation,” USC President Carol Folt said at the event. She noted the institute’s history of trailblazing work and its ability to evolve and expand its research areas, including in virtual reality, augmented reality, graphics rendering and artificial intelligence.

Innovative history

Demonstrations in the institute’s core areas of research drew attendees, who were able to engage with numerous technologies developed at ICT during its history. Of special interest was research in natural language processing, computer vision and machine learning, which culminated in the development of virtual humans capable of engaging in realistic conversations.

At the event, Folt noted that “ICT is a front line for USC in our new frontiers of computing,” referring to the USC Frontiers of Computing “moonshot,” a $1 billion-plus, 10-year initiative to fast-track developments in advanced computing and expand the impact of scientific discovery in Los Angeles County’s growing tech corridor that encompasses USC Silicon Beach.

Human-centric technology

From its beginnings, ICT has developed technology-driven solutions to real-world applications for all walks of life. “ICT came into existence because of the convergence of outstanding technology, creativity and commitment to national security and our enduring human values at USC,” said Yannis C. Yortsos, dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, which is home of ICT, at the event. Bill Swartout, chief science officer of ICT, noted ICT’s tremendous growth since its inception.

As one of only a handful of university affiliated research centers sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense in the country, ICT-developed technology spans a wide array of everyday applications as well. Louis Caldera, the former U.S. secretary of the Army who spoke at the event, said ICT’s standing as a university affiliated research center demonstrates how its creative and technological experts have a deep understanding of which kind of technologies to bring to the Army.

ICT’s proximity to Hollywood and tech startups in L.A. also positioned it to play a role in advancing computer technology in the entertainment industry. “ICT has leveraged the best Hollywood immersive techniques and the best creative processes to envision and integrate the future,” ICT Executive Director Randall Hill said at the event. Graphic-rendering innovations from ICT have led to creating lifelike computer-generated characters in films such as Avatar and other Hollywood blockbusters.

One example that blends ICT’s research areas is the BRAVEMIND project, led by Skip Rizzo, Arno Hartholt and Sharon Mozgai. A virtual reality therapy system, this project has produced meaningful reductions in PTSD symptoms in clinical trials and has been adopted by Veteran Affairs medical centers and other sites that serve the needs of veterans.

“What we do here at ICT is look at what technologies are out there, and how can we apply those technologies to challenges in society,” said Rizzo, whose work in virtual reality-based PTSD exposure therapy received the American Psychological Association’s 2010 Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Treatment of Trauma. Mozgai, the director of the Virtual Human Therapeutics Lab at ICT, said, “While we are excited about the recent advances in AI, a core value of our work is to responsibly integrate this technology into our applications.”

Bridging the past and future

Other work includes the New Dimensions in Testimony project, a collaboration with USC Shoah Foundation — The Institute for Visual History and Education that gives visitors the opportunity to engage with an AI-powered video display of Holocaust survivor Pinchas Gutter. The specialized video display utilized advanced filming techniques developed using ICT’s Light Stage technology.

“Conversations are a powerful learning tool,” said Ron Artstein, a research scientist who demonstrated the interactive technology to attendees, engaging in a real-time virtual conversation with Gutter that made an emotional impact on many attendees. “When you talk to a person, you build an emotional connection. New Dimensions in Testimony lets people talk with historical witnesses in an immersive way.”

Researchers from the Visions & Graphics Lab demoed Text to Avatar, which lab director Yajie Zhao describes as “the front line of human-avatar technology.” Pairing sophisticated facial geometry and texture data in a digital environment, the project will utilize a deep learning model to “create numerous avatars that could fill entire environments,” Zhao said.

Developing computer-generated imagery for Hollywood is a central theme in ICT’s history: Visions & Graphics Lab researchers earned an Academy Award in 2010 for Best Achievement in Visual Effects, and the institute received a second award in 2018 for technical achievement. The applications stretch to other media as well. The hit video game The Last of Us also incorporated work developed through the institute’s motion-capture technology.

Creating the future

The two-day event and reception brought together key figures from the institute’s history to reflect on the progress made and to look to the future of ICT. Yortsos said the institute’s ability to bring together disparate industries including entertainment, academia, tech and the military has helped improved the lives of people worldwide.

Looking to the future, Hill said the institute would continue to bring together USC researchers and experts in immersive technologies to create the next generation of Department of Defense training tools and simulations: “The future is looking at how humans and machines can team together in all kinds of capacities.”

Megan Fieser is focused on finding a solution to one of the most pressing sustainability problems: what to do about all the plastic accumulating in our environment.

Fieser, who is Gabilan Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, founded the Fieser Lab in 2018 to explore ways in which degradable plastics could be used as a replacement for commercial nondegradable plastics or how current products can be recycled or upcycled into commercially useful chemicals.

The following year, Fieser began organizing regular local beach cleanups with the dual purpose of removing plastic waste and tracking the types of plastic that wash up on the shores.

The group has since collected 225,505 plastic items from Southern California beaches. The next beach cleanup will be held Sept. 29 at Alamitos Beach in Long Beach, and Fieser says everyone is welcome.

She recently sat down with USC News to discuss her journey as a scientist on a mission to help the planet by reusing and recycling plastics.

How did the Fieser Lab get started?

Fieser: I have wanted to be a professor in chemistry since I was 16. However, it took many years for me to identify the research direction I wanted to take in my independent career. Using my education background, I believed that working in plastic sustainability would be the best way for my students to learn challenging science, communicate with the general public and learn how industrial chemistry works. With these skills and expertise in inorganic, polymer and sustainable chemistry, I believe that I set my students up for success in the job market, where they will have many options for directions they can take.

What problem are you trying to address?

Fieser: Right now, the main problem we are addressing is the growing accumulation of plastics. In some cases, we really need plastic items to benefit modern society. Therefore, we strive to create degradable and sustainable polymers that can replace nondegradable polymers in our Team POL Research Thrust. The challenge is to ensure these polymers have the right properties for the target application and can be made by inexpensive means.

On the other hand, we are trying to repurpose waste nondegradable polymers into useful chemicals and materials that can have a second life … This is especially important for polymers that are difficult to replace with other products. We specialize in the repurposing of PVC, which is a critical polymer in medical and construction applications, yet has a harmful end of life. Whether it ends up in a landfill, is recycled or is burned for energy recovery, PVC produces harmful chemicals (such as hydrochloric acid and dioxins) and can leach out toxic additives (such as heavy metals and plasticizers) into the environment.

What is your approach to solving the problem, and how has it evolved?

Fieser: My group strives to develop efficient and inexpensive catalytic methods to make new polymers (most often known to the public as plastics) and repurpose existing polymers. We make use of many elements on the periodic table, depending on the project. When I started my career, I was thinking about complex catalyst design, as that was what I was used to from my background. However, through careful control reactions, we have been able to identify simpler solutions that we originally expected. This makes our work more appealing to eventual commercialization.

What would you consider a breakthrough?

Fieser: I think a very general breakthrough in this field would be to identify a scalable, cost-effective method for either of our research thrusts that indicate commercial viability. As an educator, a breakthrough for me would be a student using their experience in their future career to make a difference in plastic sustainability at the industrial level!

What is next?

Fieser: We are constantly expanding projects and building projects. We expect to be working in plastic sustainability for many years, as there are so many challenges to address. Eventually, we hope to use polymer chemistry to address other challenges, such as drug delivery and nuclear waste remediation. We are always excited to engage with the public on how they can make good choices in their consumer behavior to make a difference as well.

How can students get involved?

Fieser: Students interested in research in the Fieser Lab can email fieser@usc.edu. We host at least three beach cleanups a year, with the next cleanup on Sept. 29. You can sign up on our outreach website.

Surging demand for the data and processing power of artificial intelligence is putting a hidden strain on U.S. electrical grids.

Generative AI systems like ChatGPT can each consume as much electricity in a single day as 180,000 typical U.S. households. The energy required to train these large language AI models is even more staggering: Training GPT-4 required over 50 gigawatt-hours, about 0.02% of California’s annual electricity output and 50 times more than what was used for GPT-3.

As AI adoption grows, California’s largest utility, PG&E, forecasts demand could double by 2040.

Shon Hiatt, an associate professor at the USC Marshall School of Business and director of the Business of Energy Transition initiative, sees hydropower as a promising solution. This centuries-old, clean and renewable energy source is underutilized in the United States, says Hiatt, but could play a crucial role in powering the AI revolution — and could help ease the pressure on national electrical grids.

During Green Week, USC News spoke with Hiatt to explore how hydropower could help meet AI’s rising energy needs and support a more sustainable future.

What challenges does the AI revolution present in terms of energy consumption?

Hiatt: U.S. electricity demand is projected to surge over the next five years, with growth rates doubling from last year’s estimates. This sudden increase is driven by three main factors: the rise of AI data centers, federally subsidized manufacturing plants and widespread electric vehicle adoption.

Because data centers require constant, reliable power, renewable sources like wind and solar can’t provide without massive battery backup. As a result, utilities will need to rely more on natural gas, coal and nuclear plants to meet the increasing demand.

Looking ahead, electricity demand for data centers is projected to increase by 13%-15% annually through 2030. There is not enough planned electricity generation development to accommodate projected AI data center growth.

This is driving Big Tech companies into the energy sector, as seen in Amazon’s recent $650 million deal to acquire a Pennsylvania data center powered by an on-site 2.5 gigawatt nuclear plant. As the demand for electricity continues to grow, it’s clear that the energy landscape is undergoing a significant transformation.

How can hydropower help address these challenges?

Hiatt: A relatively quick solution is repowering existing hydropower plants and putting turbines on existing reservoirs.

Hydropower can provide baseload energy unlike wind and solar, which are intermittent due to clouds, weather, etc.

We are not building any new reservoirs (dams) in this country. That does not mean we cannot increase hydropower from existing reservoirs, however. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that up to 10 gigawatts of energy can be created by upgrading existing powered facilities. This is something that can be done within months with capital.

Moreover, less than 3% of the more than 90,000 reservoirs in the United States produce power. Installing turbines and generators on these reservoirs could provide an additional 12 gigawatts of power. Putting turbines on existing reservoirs can also be done in a timely manner — in some states, a matter of months.

What are the advantages of investing in hydropower over other renewable energy sources to support AI’s growing demand?

Every energy source has a tradeoff. Solar scales linearly and has thus the largest land footprint of existing power sources. Wind can affect birds and sea life. Nuclear and combined cycle natural gas have the smallest footprint for energy output.

Run-of-the river hydropower has much lower environmental impact than reservoir hydropower as it requires no reservoirs. Run of the river diverts some water from a watershed to power a turbine downstream while the rest of the water flows down the mountain.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the U.S. has 65 gigawatts of unexploited hydropower energy that can come from ecologically friendly run-of-the-river facilities. However, development of run-of-the-river facilities can take years to develop due to government licensing and permitting barriers.

Frankly, it is likely that the demand for electricity for AI data centers over the next five years will be met by new combined cycle natural gas facilities. They are quick to put up, require a small footprint, and the U.S. currently has a large abundance of cheap gas. Small modular nuclear reactors are another potential solution. However, they are not likely to come online until 2030 at the earliest.

USC scientists are on the cutting edge of carbon capture research, drawing inspiration from nature’s most effective carbon-capturing systems to combat climate change.

From innovative technologies that remove emissions directly from ships to tapping into the natural ability of coastal wetlands to store vast amounts of carbon, USC researchers are following nature’s lead to discover new ways to protect our planet for future generations.

Contact: Nina Raffio, raffio@usc.edu or (213) 442-8464; USC Media Relations, uscnews@usc.edu or (213) 740-2215

Ocean-inspired tech could speed up carbon capture from ships

Researchers at USC and Caltech, in collaboration with startup company Calcarea, have developed a device to capture carbon emissions directly from cargo ships and other diesel-powered vessels that support the global shipping industry.

“Our technology mimics the ocean’s natural carbon capture process but at an exponentially faster rate. What takes nature years, our reactors achieve in mere minutes,” said William Berelson, the Paxson H. Offield Professor in Coastal and Marine Systems at USC Dornsife and one of the project’s lead researchers.

“The beauty of this technology lies in its scalability,” he said. “By implementing it on a commercial scale across the shipping sector, we hope to make a massive dent in global CO2 emissions.”

Contact: berelson@usc.edu

Blue carbon: Why we need our wetlands

Coastal wetlands are nature’s powerhouses for capturing and storing carbon, but rising sea levels threaten their survival. USC researchers are studying how to protect these essential “blue carbon” ecosystems in the marshes of Upper Newport Bay in Orange County.

“Salt marshes, like those at Upper Newport Bay, can actually store as much carbon as the Amazon rainforest or any other forest in the world, making them powerful allies in the fight against climate change,” said David Bañuelas, a USC Presidential Sustainability Solutions Fellow and the project’s lead researcher.

“Our goal is to develop methods to predict and mitigate carbon loss, quantify the amount of carbon at risk, and identify restoration techniques to ensure continued carbon capture and storage well into the next century.”

Contact: dbanuela@usc.edu

Microorganisms rule the world (and keep carbon in check)

“Microorganisms control all the carbon cycling on planet Earth,” said Cameron Thrash, associate professor of biological sciences at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and co-investigator on the research project exploring carbon capture and storage in Upper Newport Bay.

“As much as humans are putting CO2 into the atmosphere, microbes control what the ultimate fate of that CO2 is — whether it’s getting turned into fixed organic carbon, sequestering that carbon in our oceans or soils, or converting it back into CO2.”

Contact: thrash@usc.edu

Modeling blue carbon’s future

USC researchers are developing advanced computer models to predict how microbial communities and their carbon processing potential will respond to climate-induced changes in the salt marshes of Upper Newport Bay.

“With predictive models, we can quantify the carbon balance between the ocean and coastal wetlands, enabling us to make rational decisions to safeguard these vital ecosystems,” said Felipe de Barros, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, whose research focuses on developing models that can simulate large hydrogeological ecosystems.

“These models also allow us to predict how different hydrological conditions can affect the carbon balance.”

Contact: fbarros@usc.edu

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