William T. Freeman

William T. Freeman is the Thomas and Gerd Perkins Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at MIT and a member of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). Since 2015, he has also served as a research manager at Google Research in Cambridge, MA. Freeman previously held the role of Associate Department Head of EECS from 2011 to 2014.

• Research Interests: Mid-level vision, computational photography, 3D object structure, video synthesis, and vision-learning integration.
• Projects: Imaging privacy threats from ambient light sensors, Single-Image 3D Interpreter Network, Visual Dynamics, 3D-GANs, and motion magnification.

His work spans foundational computer vision techniques and modern AI applications, emphasizing the importance of combining classical methods with neural networks. Recent projects include rapid video generation and ethical considerations in vision systems.

• Scientific Awards: 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Physics, 2019 PAMI Distinguished Researcher Award, multiple Outstanding Paper and Test-of-Time Awards.

Freeman co-authored the 2024 textbook Foundations of Computer Vision, which bridges classical and deep learning-based approaches. He is actively involved in CSAIL and MIT’s Visual Computing and Vision Groups, impacting fields like cybersecurity, healthcare, and autonomous systems.