A research team that includes two USF Sarasota-Manatee faculty members has been awarded a Cyber Florida grant to develop an AI-driven education platform designed to safeguard teenagers from human trafficking risks prevalent in online gaming, cyber dating and social media environments.
The principal investigator on the project is Tingting Zhang, an associate professor in the Muma College of Business at USF Sarasota-Manatee; and one of the co-principal investigators is YongJei Lee, an assistant professor of criminology on the Sarasota-Manatee campus.
“We are deeply honored by the phaseZERO award, which fuels our passion to push the boundaries of cybersecurity," Zhang said. "With this support, we have unleashed an AI-powered real-time monitoring and learning system. This innovation transforms our AI Guardian into a digital shield that swiftly alerts parents to hidden human trafficking risks on teens’ mobile devices.”
Tingting Zhang, left, and YongJei Lee
The team was selected as a recipient of a Cyber Florida at USF phaseZERO: Innovation Incubator Seed Fund Program. This initiative supports Florida-based researchers in developing and commercializing innovative cybersecurity solutions.
The Artificial Intelligence Guardian for Education and Cybersecurity platform will leverage advanced AI technologies for real-time behavior analysis and user education. The platform also will include a robust monitoring system that alerts users and relevant authorities, including parents and/or guardians, to potential risks, such as online grooming or suspicious activity.
The other co-principal investigators are Assistant Professor Seungbae Kim and Professor Jing Wang, both of the USF Department of Computer Science and Engineering in Tampa.
The phaseZERO program provides selected startups with seed funding and strategic mentorship to accelerate their business development. Each recipient will receive $60,000 in funding, mentorship and access to resources to refine their business strategies and accelerate market readiness. The phaseZERO initiative is part of Cyber Florida’s broader mission to strengthen the state’s cybersecurity ecosystem through education, research, and industry collaboration.
Notably, three of the four most recent phaseZero program recipient projects are affiliated with USF.