Dr. Douglas C. Schmidt

Inaugural Dean of the School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics at William & Mary


Keynote Title:
Navigating Our AI-Augmented Future in High-Stakes Domains

Time & Venue

Abstract

Generative AI models provide both opportunities and challenges to software/systems and AI engineering. I concentrate on two integral domains: AI-augmented software development and the engineering of AI-enabled systems. Throughout my talk, I explore the potential of generative AI tools in aiding various software/systems lifecycle development stages, ranging from requirements gathering to architecture, design, programming, and testing. A particularly promising area is 'prompt patterns" for prompt engineering, which provide valuable knowledge transfer methods for interacting with generative AI models. I also discuss the distinct challenges posed by AI-augmented systems, include the need for AI traceability and addressing emergent behaviors in mission- and safety-critical systems.

Biography


Dr. Douglas C. Schmidt is the inaugural Dean of the School of Computing, Data Sciences, and Physics at William and Mary. He is currently a visiting scientist at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University where he is a Visiting Scientist.
Dr. Schmidt was previously the Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Engineering in Computer Science at Vanderbilt University, as well as the Associate Chair of Computer Science and a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Software Integrated Systems. From 2018 to 2022 Dr. Schmidt served as the Associate Provost of Research Development and Technologies and the Co-Director of the Data Science Institute at Vanderbilt University. In 2024 Schmidt was the President-appointed and Senate-confirmed Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, where he is responsible for overseeing the evaluation of the operational effectiveness, suitability, survivability, and (when necessary) lethality of United States defense systems to defend the homeland and prevail in conflict.