Lydia Chilton

Assistant Professor of Computer Science

Lydia Chilton area of study in Human-Computer Interaction. Her research is in AI+design - how AI can help people with design, innovation, and creative problem-solving.

Applications include: creating media for journalism, developing technology for public libraries, improving risk communication during hurricanes, helping scientists explain their work, and improving mental health in marginalized communities.

Chilton received her PhD from the University of Washington in 2016. She received her Master’s in Engineering from MIT in 2009 and her SB In 2007, also from MIT. Prior to joining Columbia Engineering in 2017, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University.

Research Areas


  • Graphics and User Interfaces
  • Natural Language Processing and Speech
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)
  • Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Design Automation
  • Generative AI & Large Language Models (LLMs)
  • Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

Additional Information


  • Education
    • PhD, Computer Science, University of Washington
    • MEng, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT
    • BS, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT
    • BS, Economics, MIT