Research
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz are pushing the boundaries of generative AI, exploring core technologies—including natural language processing, computer vision, and robotics—and advancing applications in healthcare, climate sustainability, education, and more. By connecting breakthroughs in foundational methods with real-world impact, we are shaping the future of responsible and transformative AI.
On this page: GenAI Core Technologies | GenAI Applications
GenAI Core Technologies
Natural language processing
The natural language processing cluster develops AI systems that understand and generate human language. Research spans language models, dialogue and interactive systems, question answering, speech recognition, computational linguistics, and related areas.
Faculty: Pranav Anand, Ian Lane, Bing Liu, Chenguang Wang, Xiang Yue, Yi Zhang
Computer vision and multi-modal AI
The computer vision and multi-modal AI cluster creates AI systems that perceive and understand visual data, often in combination with other modalities such as language and sensors. Research emphasizes robust performance across diverse conditions and applications, with the goal of advancing toward human-level visual understanding.
Faculty: Cihang Xie, Yi Zhang, Yuyin Zhou
GenAI robotics
The GenAI and robotics cluster integrates cutting-edge research in generative AI and advanced robotics, with emphasis on real-time perception, tactile sensing, and GenAI-driven learning, reasoning, and planning for adaptive autonomous systems. It fosters interdisciplinary innovation to enable robots that can interact and collaborate with humans in complex real-world environments.
Faculty: Tae Myung Huh, Yi Zhang, Ian Lane
Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and multi AI agents
The retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and AI agents cluster explores how multiple specialized agents collaborate through learning, reasoning, planning, and self-feedback to tackle complex tasks. RAG is a key example that equips agents with dynamic information access for more accurate and adaptive responses.
Faculty: Chenguang Wang, Xiang Yue, Jeffrey Flanigan, Yi Zhang
AI systems and hardware
The AI systems and hardware cluster innovates new approaches to computer architecture and neuromorphic computing to make AI systems more efficient and scalable. Faculty research spans chip design productivity, hardware programming models, and spiking neural networks, including tools like snnTorch and innovations such as spike-based large language models.
Faculty: Jason Eshraghian, Jose Renau
Trustworthy and responsible AI
The trustworthy and responsible AI cluster develops methods to ensure AI systems are reliable, transparent, and fair. Research spans robustness to failures, interpretability of AI decisions, and aligning machine learning with ethical and societal principles.
Faculty: Luca De Alfaro, Daniel Fremont, Leilani Gilpin, Cihang Xie, Yi Zhang, Yuyin Zhou
GenAI Applications
Healthcare and biomedicine
The healthcare and biomedicine cluster brings together cutting-edge research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, medicine, healthcare, and the life sciences
Faculty: Manel Camps, Razvan Marinescu, Xiao Wang, Zhu Wang, Yi Zhang, Yuyin Zhou
Scientific discovery
The GenAI for scientific discovery cluster explores how generative AI can accelerate breakthroughs across a wide range of scientific fields, including biology, chemistry, and materials science.
Faculty: Manel Camps, Xiao Wang, Zhu Wang
Education and educational technology
The AI in education cluster works to understand how AI can enhance teaching and learning while preparing educational systems for AI integration.
Faculty: Leilani Gilpin, Michael Tassio, Hao Yue, Yi Zhang
Creative arts and media
The GenAI in creative arts and media cluster investigates how AI can enable new forms of creativity, interactive media, and artistic expression. Research also explores applications of generative AI to address challenges in health, education, resilience, climate change, and cybersecurity.
Faculty: Jennifer Parker, Magy Seif El-Nasr
Society and humanities
The GenAI in society and humanities cluster fosters interdisciplinary exploration at the intersection of AI and humanistic inquiry, empowering innovative methods that honor human values and cultural inquiry. Researchers critically examine how generative AI reshapes narrative, meaning‐making, and social structures—bridging technology with humanities-driven perspectives to inform ethically grounded applications.
Faculty: Pranav Anand, Leilani Gilpin, Minghui Hu, Magy Seif El-Nasr, Zac Zimmer
Climate and environmental sustainability
The GenAI for climate and environmental sustainability cluster applies AI to address environmental challenges, advance climate science, and promote sustainability.
Faculty: Luca De Alfaro, Ashesh Chattopadhyay, Xiao Wang
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