Tianyi Chen is pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence by asking a pressing question: What if AI could be engineered not just to optimize for a single outcome, but to make smarter, more balanced decisions — much like humans do?

Chen, a new associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Cornell Tech and Cornell Engineering, leverages deep mathematical insights to design algorithms that help AI juggle multiple priorities at once — accuracy, fairness, efficiency, and reliability — rather than optimizing for just one.

This balanced approach could make generative AI tools more reliable, strengthen large-scale computing systems, and improve the energy efficiency of the new AI chips that power them. His work has already led to patented innovations through collaborations with IBM.

Read more on the Cornell Tech website.