Computer Science

(From Eagle Drive magazine, December 2023)

Artificial intelligence expert Lynne Parker, Ph.D., hasn’t had an idle moment since graduating from Tennessee Tech with a bachelor’s degree in computer science in 1983. From her time in Cookeville to her return to her hometown of Knoxville, Parker’s career highlights have included distinguished positions at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, National Science Foundation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and University of Tennessee, to name a few. 

Parker’s footprint is deep in the field of AI. Between 2018 and 2022, she served in various leadership capacities at the nation’s capital, including founding director of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office, deputy chief technology officer of the United States and assistant director for artificial intelligence. From 2015 to 2017, she was the NSF’s division director of information and intelligent systems.

Most recently, Parker has turned her attention to AI activities at home. She is the associate vice chancellor and director of the AI Tennessee Initiative based at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she has served as a professor and in other leadership roles since 2002. As a researcher, developer and leader, she strives to bring awareness to the field for which she envisions great things.

Q. What would you as a Tech student in the ’70s and ’80s have been most surprised about regarding the AI initiatives you’ve been part of the past four decades? 

A. When I started out in AI, it seemed rather science fiction. You wondered how you could build software similar to how people think. Fast forward to today, and the field has progressed to the point that it is relevant to almost any discipline or economic sector. Just 10 years ago it seemed like we were still in that science fiction phase, so the degree to which it went to pervasive across everything has been surprising.

Q. What aspect of AI interests you most? 

A. My research career has focused on AI applied to robotics to help them work together effectively in teams. If you look at the classic AI textbooks, robotics is typically a chapter. There are aspects of robotics that are not AI – for example, how you build a robot is more mechanical or electrical engineering, but how you control it, some of that is AI. There’s an intersection, but my interest has been, “How do we use AI to make a robot smart?”

Q. What is the purpose of the AI Tennessee Initiative? 

A. We’re working with academic institutions as well as industry and community organizations toward Tennessee becoming a leader in the data-intensive knowledge economy. We have a lot of pockets of excellence across the state, not only in foundational AI but also in AI being applied to various disciplines. What we haven’t really had is a big-picture view or leadership that looks at opportunities on how we can all work together and identify areas where we can make strategic investments that help us build not only the research capacity and contributions but also education and workforce training opportunities so students can be prepared for this new era of AI.

Q. What are some AI career paths? 

A. There are two broad categories – foundational and use-inspired or discipline-specific. In foundational, you become a deep AI expert, building new AI models and machine learning algorithms. Obviously, there are lots of opportunities in tech companies and research. Then in use-inspired or discipline-specific, you leverage existing AI tools in some discipline. Nearly every job is now touched by AI, so I think everyone will need to understand how to use AI as tools. The more challenging question is, “In what jobs will you not use AI?” 

Q. What’s it like being a leader in the AI field? 

A. Thrilling! I enjoy the strategic view as well as the technical aspects. It’s been a privilege to combine those and think about policy questions, research investment questions, governance issues, education, workforce development and industry opportunities from a big-picture perspective. I was fortunate to have been in the middle of all the AI activities at the time when artificial intelligence exploded onto the public scene.

Q. What are you most proud of in your career? 

A. It’s always been about impact. How can I make an impact for the betterment of students, the research and our nation and state based on my skills and the opportunities presented at a given time? I really enjoy the field. It’s not just an intellectual curiosity; it’s also, “How can I help society?” That’s why it’s been so much fun.