Shaping the Future of AI: Elijah Shannon Leads Research and Student Innovation

Elijah Shannon, a senior at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) majoring in computer science, is helping define the future of artificial intelligence. As the founding president of the newly established Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Club, Shannon’s journey reflects a long-standing passion for research, sparked by an early interest in computers and coding.

Shannon is currently working on a self-designed Honors Capstone research project under the mentorship of Dr. Chaity Banerjee-Mukherjee, an Assistant Professor in the computer science department. Driven by the growing presence of misleading AI-generated content online, Shannon set out to develop a method for detecting such content - deciding that the most effective way to combat AI deception is through AI itself.

"Performing all steps of the research process myself with direction from Dr. Banerjee-Mukherjee, I conducted a thorough literature review, utilized modern state-of-the-art machine learning techniques, generated datasets for verification and validation, and am working on compiling the results into my capstone as well as a publishable conference paper,” Shannon says.

Shannon explains that the rise of AI online has led to increasingly realistic and convincing content. His research aims to ensure that data on the internet maintains integrity for all users, meaning AI generated content is labelled or filtered before arriving to an end-user. “I believe that, when used correctly, artificial intelligence can be a huge asset to expedite processes and can greatly improve efficiency. It is hard to predict how something so new with such an impressive growth rate will shape our world, but it is very exciting to be able to watch,” he adds.

When asked about the biggest challenges in his research, Shannon says it was stepping beyond established computer vision and generative techniques to explore newer, emerging methods. “This challenge has provided an excellent opportunity to learn and find footing for future research as well as advancing my current project,” he says.

Shannon’s early interest in computers led his parents to sign him up for a coding camp in middle school. After the camp, he spent time teaching himself the programming language Python at his home in rural Leoma, Tennessee. In high school, Shannon attempted to create a statistics-based chatbot for the messaging platform, Discord. “While the program was definitely flawed,” he says, “It provided a newfound appreciation and passion for artificial intelligence.”

Funded by the Airforce Research Laboratories (AFRL) Elijah Shannon worked under Dr. Mukherjee and his Ph.D. student Timothy McCorry to design and implement swarm robotics methodologies for an interactive, customizable, and scalable testbed for radio frequency (RF) research.

Coming from a high school with only around 400 students, the transition to a university was initially daunting for Shannon, who chose to attend UAH during his senior year of high school due to the advanced space and defense industry in Huntsville. Determined to “keep up” with peers from larger, more academically rigorous schools, he entered freshman year with a strong drive to succeed.

“I found myself feeling behind everyone else,” Shannon reflects. “However, this did not demotivate me.”

“When I began to take Calculus A at UAH, I felt incredibly behind the other students who had previously taken calculus and seemed to breeze through the course,” Shannon says, explaining that his high school hadn’t offered the course.

“Instead of feeling defeated, I took this as a challenge and strived to earn top marks,” they explains. Shannon ultimately excelled in the class. “I finally felt like I had ‘caught up.”

“UAH has given me the opportunity to prove to myself that I belong in advanced academic and professional spaces, regardless of my background,” he says.

Shannon’s determination didn’t stop at academics. In addition to his research, he quickly became involved in student leadership, founding the Data Science and AI Club to connect like-minded students and grow a community around cutting-edge technologies.

“The core purpose of the club is to create a student group to share resources, participate in competitions, and create a community for students interested in data science and artificial intelligence,” Shannon says. As founding president, he has recruited members, led meetings, invited guest speakers, and offered instruction to those new to the field.

“My passion for the art of artificial intelligence development has grown tremendously over the past three years at UAH, and I took on the presidency with the intent to share that passion with people who are interested,” he says.

The experience has also allowed Shannon to hone professional skills that he sees as essential to his future career. “Overall, my time as the President of the Data Science and AI Club has allowed me to share my excitement for the field of AI, and it has honed skills that will inevitably boost my performance in a workplace,” he explains.

Outside of the club, Shannon is also deeply involved in the Honors College and the computer science department, both of which have played roles in his academic and personal growth.

“I applied to the UAH Honors College shortly after being accepted to UAH, and this action has impacted my UAH journey tremendously,” he says. Through the Honors College, Shannon found a network of highly motivated peers and quickly immersed himself in opportunities on campus.

He has served as both an IT Intern and an Honors Ambassador, eventually becoming Co-Lead Ambassador. As IT Intern, he upgraded and streamlined systems for the college, while gaining exposure to valuable campus resources like undergraduate research, academic advising, and graduate school preparation. “The position provided the ideal steppingstone from my small hometown to the technologically advanced city,” he says.

As an ambassador, Shannon says he enjoys talking with new students. “Conversing with potential and incoming students enhanced my ability of public speaking and conveying information effectively,” he notes.

Shannon’s academic journey took a decisive turn at the end of his sophomore year when he joined Dr. Tathagata Mukherjee’s Data Science and Cybersecurity Lab to gain research experience. There, he helped design a swarm robotics testbed system for radio frequency research, funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

This experience sparked a deeper interest in research that set Shannon on a new career trajectory. “I gained many fundamental skills necessary for academics to create and analyze research: conducting thorough literature reviews, applying methodologies in new and creative ways, identifying areas for improvement, and producing documentation,” he says.

Though he originally planned to pursue a career in software engineering, Shannon now has his sights set on academia. “As I have worked closely with professors on multiple research projects, I have discovered my love of research and pushing the boundaries of possible,” he says. “All in all, my research participation and design has led me to desire to pursue my Ph.D. in Computer Science and become a professor.”

Throughout his time at UAH, mentorship has played a crucial role in Shannon’s development. He credits Dr. Dr. Banerjee-Mukherjee and Dr. Mukherjee for guiding him through multiple research endeavors and offering continued encouragement. He also acknowledges the influence of Ms. Gina Battle and Ms. Jennifer Staton from the Honors College for helping him build both technical and professional skills.

“Between these academics and staff, I have found connections that offer invaluable advice for my career and research trajectory,” Shannon said.

Staying current in the fast-moving tech world is no small task, but Shannon maintains a focused approach, pointing out the many subfields in computer science. “I try to keep up to technical date with my niche subfield, and I like to have a more general overview of advancements in other Computer Science fields,” he explains. He reads daily updates from the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and keeps a close eye on new publications in his research area.

For students considering the computer science program at UAH, Shannon has a clear message:

“My advice to potential Computer Science students at UAH is short… do it! UAH has great resources, motivated professors, and awesome connections to industry,” he said. “The return on investment to UAH’s degree program, in my experience, has been incredibly worth it. With close connections to local industry and potential for flourishing as an academic, UAH’s Computer Science department has excellent conditions and potential to help a motivated individual excel.”