Yaman Yu
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
yamanyu2@illinois.edu
Bio
Yaman Yu is a PhD Candidate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign advised by Yang Wang at the SALT Lab. Her research lies at the intersection of human-computer interaction, security and privacy and artificial intelligence with a focus on protecting vulnerable populations such as teenagers, blind and low vision users and less tech-savvy individuals. She develops responsible AI systems that enable non-experts to understand, define and shape AI behavior in terms of interpretable self-defined concepts. Her work has been published in top HCI and security venues including CHI, IEEE S&P and ACM CCS. She is a recipient of the Google PhD Fellowship MIT EECS Rising Star and a CHI Best Paper Honorable Mention Award.
Areas of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction
Responsible AI for At-risk Users: A Youth-centered Perspective
My research develops responsible AI systems that protect at risk users by making safety both interpretable and actionable. I focus on teenagers, a group especially vulnerable to harmful generative AI outputs such as unsafe advice manipulation or inappropriate content. To address this I create frameworks that translate real youth interactions into a taxonomy of risks enabling safeguards that operate in terms of concepts meaningful to youth, parents and experts. These safeguards are designed to detect and mitigate risky interactions in real time while respecting youth autonomy. More broadly my work advances the design of AI systems that can incorporate self defined values from non-experts promoting transparency, collaboration and trust. By situating youth at the center I highlight how responsible AI can extend to other vulnerable populations and contribute to more equitable futures.