Taylor Olson

Taylor Olson is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Iowa, specializing in Machine Ethics and Artificial Intelligence. His work focuses on formalizing moral theories and developing AI systems capable of learning and adapting to social norms while maintaining ethical principles.

• PhD in Computer Science (AI & Cognitive Science), Northwestern University
• MS in Computer Science, Northwestern University
• BS in Computer Science and BA in Mathematics, University of Northern Iowa
• Minor in Philosophy, University of Northern Iowa

Research Interests include theoretical machine ethics, normative concept learning, deontic logic extensions, and adversarial training mitigation using moral axioms. He investigates how AI systems can dynamically resolve norm conflicts and balance descriptive/prescriptive ethical frameworks.

Article Trends show a focus on formalizing social norms through

• Deontic and temporal logics
• Belief functions for norm learning
• Detecting and resolving norm conflicts
• Educational metrics for ethical AI
• Language-based norm acquisition
• Robust normative systems against adversarial attacks

Academic Affiliations include Northwestern University (PhD), University of Northern Iowa (BS/BA), and IBM collaboration through advisory roles. He has presented at conferences like AAMAS, IJCAI, AAAI, and Advances in Cognitive Systems.