Howard Shrobe

Howard Shrobe is a Principal Research Scientist at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), currently serving as a Program Manager in DARPA's Information Innovation Office (I2O). His work focuses on merging cybersecurity and AI to create secure, trustworthy computing systems. He holds affiliations with MIT's School of Engineering and has contributed to projects like ASIST (Artificial Social Intelligence for Successful Teams) and cybersecurity initiatives addressing attack planning and system monitoring.

Education & Background: Shrobe joined MIT in the 1970s, initially working on the Multics operating system project before transitioning to AI research at the Artificial Intelligence Lab (now CSAIL). His career has spanned systems development, cognitive AI, and the intersection of AI with cybersecurity.

Research: He pioneers AI-driven cybersecurity solutions, including Attack Planner (modeling attacker strategies) and real-time system monitors that compare behavior to symbolic models. Collaborations include DARPA-funded projects like Uhura (risk-aware planning agents) and IoT security initiatives. His work emphasizes "theory of mind" in human-computer interaction and holistic decision-making for complex systems.

Labs & Groups: Leads or contributes to the Computation Structures Group, Cognitive AI CoR, and Model-Based Embedded and Robotics Systems Group at CSAIL. His research spans security, AI, and systems engineering, addressing challenges in critical infrastructure, IoT, and team collaboration.