EAGER: SaTC-EDU: Discovery, Analysis, Research and Exploration Based Experiential Learning Platform Integrating Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity

机器学习算法和人工智能（AI）系统已经对我们的社会产生了巨大的影响。最近，人工智能已经被证明能够在某些应用中创造与人类认知相当甚至更好的机器认知。人工智能也被视为实现网络安全（即人工智能用于网络安全），例如通过检测异常，根据正在进行的网络攻击调整安全参数，以及实时响应以对抗网络对手。然而，机器学习算法和人工智能系统可能会被有缺陷的学习模型和输入数据所控制、回避、偏见和误导。因此，ML和AI需要强大的安全性和正确性（即AI的网络安全），以允许公平和值得信赖的AI。不幸的是，人工智能和网络安全被视为两个不同的领域，而不是作为交叉技术来教授。该项目的主要目标是在本科和研究生课程中探索、开发和整合一种可扩展的人工智能驱动网络安全和人工智能网络安全的教学方法。这将通过创造一个“边做边学”的环境来实现，以解决传统课程中没有以综合方式涵盖的新兴人工智能和网络安全问题。该项目将帮助培养具有综合网络安全和人工智能知识的下一代STEM劳动力，这不仅有助于满足美国政府和行业不断变化的需求，还有助于改善国家的经济安全和准备。拟议研究工作的核心科学贡献将是通过利用拟议的基于发现、分析、研究和探索（DARE-AI）的体验式学习平台来解决新出现的问题和挑战，开发和增强霍华德大学的综合人工智能和网络安全教育和研究项目。项目团队建议通过将网络安全和人工智能教育与研究与开放式问题解决活动相结合，设计、开发、使用和完善可重复的实践活动。将评估DARE-AI模块中用于网络安全的人工智能与用于人工智能的网络安全耦合的有效性。项目团队还将设计、开发、使用和改进具有隐私、安全性和分布式学习的机器学习模型。机器学习算法和人工智能系统将被设计、开发和分析为鲁棒性、公平性以及它们使人工智能系统可解释和负责的程度。该项目的研究成果将通过同行评审的出版物和报告进行传播。DARE-AI模块也将发布在该项目的专用网站上，以便公众使用。该项目由安全与可信网络空间（SaTC）计划的一项特别倡议支持，旨在促进网络安全、人工智能和教育领域之间前所未有的合作。SaTC项目与《联邦网络安全研究与发展战略计划》和《国家隐私研究战略》保持一致，旨在保护和维护网络系统日益增长的社会和经济效益，同时确保安全和隐私。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Machine learning (ML) algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) systems have already had an immense impact on our society. Lately, AI has been shown to be able to create machine cognition comparable to or even better than human cognition for some applications. AI is also regarded to achieve cybersecurity (i.e., AI for cybersecurity) such as by detecting anomalies, adapting security parameters based on ongoing cyber-attacks, and reacting in real-time to combat cyber-adversaries. However, ML algorithms and AI systems can be controlled, dodged, biased, and misled through flawed learning models and input data. Therefore, ML and AI need robust security and correctness (i.e., cybersecurity for AI) to permit fair and trustworthy AI. Unfortunately, AI and cybersecurity have been treated as two different domains and are not taught as cross-cutting technologies. The primary goal of this project is to explore, develop and integrate a scalable instructional approach for AI-driven cybersecurity and cybersecurity for AI in undergraduate and graduate curricula. This will be accomplished by creating a "learning by doing" environment to address emerging AI and cybersecurity issues that are not covered in an integrated way, if at all, in traditional curricula. This project will help to train the next-generation STEM workforce with knowledge of integrated cybersecurity and AI that will help not only to meet evolving demands of the US government and industries but also to improve the nation’s economic security and preparedness. The core scientific contributions of the proposed research effort will be the development and enhancement of integrated AI and cybersecurity education and research programs at Howard University by leveraging the proposed Discovery, Analysis, Research and Exploration (DARE-AI) -based experiential learning platform to address emerging issues and challenges. The project team proposes to design, develop, use, and refine reproducible hands-on activities by integrating cybersecurity and AI education and research with open-ended problem-solving activities. The effectiveness of coupling of AI for cybersecurity and cybersecurity for AI in DARE-AI modules will be evaluated. The project team will also design, develop, use, and refine the machine learning model with privacy, security, and distributed learning. Machine learning algorithms and AI systems will be designed, developed, and analyzed for robustness, fairness and the extent to which they make AI systems explainable and accountable. The research results from this project will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presentations. The DARE-AI modules will also be published on the project’s dedicated website to make them available to the public.This project is supported by a special initiative of the Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) program to foster new, previously unexplored, collaborations between the fields of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and education. The SaTC program aligns with the Federal Cybersecurity Research and Development Strategic Plan and the National Privacy Research Strategy to protect and preserve the growing social and economic benefits of cyber systems while ensuring security and privacy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.