USC Institute for Creative Technologies
The USC Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) is a Department of Defense-sponsored University Affiliated Research Center focusing on interdisciplinary research, development, and innovation at the intersection of artificial intelligence, computer graphics, geospatial sciences, mixed reality, simulation, virtual humans, and digital health. ICT develops advanced technologies and applications for defense, clinical, educational, and public health domains, with a strong emphasis on training, decision support, human performance, and behavioral health. The institute operates multiple specialized labs and leads projects in areas such as embodied conversational agents, virtual reality therapy, digital biomarkers, adaptive learning systems, and AI-driven simulation.
Industries
Nr. of Employees
medium (51-250)
Products
A platform for building and deploying embodied conversational agents with integrated audio-visual sensing, speech recognition, text-to-speech, and nonverbal behavior generation; supports multiple cloud and local AI service providers and cross-platform deployment.
A digital framework for designing and deploying remote, interactive course material using virtual humans, games, AR, and adaptive learning for distributed learning and military training.
Multi-track research platform applying AI to enhance military and civilian education through intelligent tutoring, learning analytics dashboards, self-regulated learning support, curriculum revision, and rapid AI upskilling tools.
An AR-enabled mobile application for on-the-job and adaptive training in equipment maintenance, providing AI-assisted diagnostics, maintenance walkthroughs, and personalized coaching for soldiers.
An AI and gamification-based system to teach core AI competencies via interactive tutoring, Python programming exercises, and personalized feedback for both military and civilian learners.
A virtual interview practice system using conversational AI agents for job-readiness and skills training, deployed in community organizations to empower job seekers.
A platform for building and deploying embodied conversational agents with integrated audio-visual sensing, speech recognition, text-to-speech, and nonverbal behavior generation; supports multiple cloud and local AI service providers and cross-platform deployment.
A digital framework for designing and deploying remote, interactive course material using virtual humans, games, AR, and adaptive learning for distributed learning and military training.
Multi-track research platform applying AI to enhance military and civilian education through intelligent tutoring, learning analytics dashboards, self-regulated learning support, curriculum revision, and rapid AI upskilling tools.
An AR-enabled mobile application for on-the-job and adaptive training in equipment maintenance, providing AI-assisted diagnostics, maintenance walkthroughs, and personalized coaching for soldiers.
An AI and gamification-based system to teach core AI competencies via interactive tutoring, Python programming exercises, and personalized feedback for both military and civilian learners.
A virtual interview practice system using conversational AI agents for job-readiness and skills training, deployed in community organizations to empower job seekers.
Expertise Areas
- Human-AI interaction and teaming
- Clinical simulation and digital health
- Mixed and virtual reality development
- Training and performance optimization
Key Technologies
- Conversational AI
- Virtual reality
- Augmented reality
- Mixed reality
Key People
Executive Director, ICT; Vice Dean, Viterbi School of Engineering; Omar B. Milligan Professor in Computer Science (Games and Interactive Media)
Director for Defense & Intelligence Initiatives
Chief Technology Officer
Chief Compliance and Legal Officer – Executive Producer
Director for Medical Virtual Reality
Information Retrieval, Question Answering Characters
Executive Director, ICT; Vice Dean, Viterbi School of Engineering; Omar B. Milligan Professor in Computer Science (Games and Interactive Media)
Director for Defense & Intelligence Initiatives
Chief Technology Officer
Chief Compliance and Legal Officer – Executive Producer
Director for Medical Virtual Reality
Information Retrieval, Question Answering Characters
News & Updates
Received two Academy Awards for technical achievements.
Recognized with three fellows of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence.
Prolific research output cited over 150,000 times.
Article on ICT’s virtual reality-based PTSD treatment and military training tools.
Feature on virtual reality exposure therapy systems for post-traumatic stress and applications in standardized military training.
Coverage of VR research including PTSD therapy and immersive training environments.
Received two Academy Awards for technical achievements.
Recognized with three fellows of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence.
Prolific research output cited over 150,000 times.
Article on ICT’s virtual reality-based PTSD treatment and military training tools.
Feature on virtual reality exposure therapy systems for post-traumatic stress and applications in standardized military training.
Coverage of VR research including PTSD therapy and immersive training environments.