About the Lab

The Artificial Intelligence Privacy and Optimization (AIPO) Lab is a research group at Kennesaw State University dedicated to advancing the science of trustworthy artificial intelligence. Our mission is to develop new theories and systems that respect user privacy, leverage data efficiently and optimise performance across diverse computing platforms. We draw on methods from federated learning, deep learning model compression techniques, ensemble learning, explainable AI, large language models (LLMs), retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) technologies, and quantum computing to address real‑world challenges.

By bridging the gap between theory and practice, our lab aims to make next‑generation intelligent systems more secure, robust and socially responsible. Students and collaborators work together on interdisciplinary projects that push the boundaries of what is possible in privacy‑preserving learning and optimisation.

About the Director

Lab director portrait

Dr. Xinyue Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Kennesaw State University. Her research interests span cybersecurity, privacy‑preserving machine learning and quantum computing. Her contributions have been recognised by top venues such as AAAI, IEEE Big Data, IEEE TDSC, IEEE TMC and IEEE TWC. She is a recipient of the NSF CRII Award (2024). She earned her Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Houston in 2021 and holds bachelor degrees from Beijing Jiaotong University and KU Leuven.

Outside the lab, Dr. Zhang actively serves the research community as a programme committee member for major conferences—including AAAI and IJCAI—and as a reviewer for several high‑impact journals. She is passionate about mentoring students and fostering an inclusive and collaborative research environment.

Portfolio: Visit Dr. Zhang's Personal Website