Welcome! My name is Dr. Sayde (pronounced shaw-day) King, and I’m a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate, sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. I recently earned my Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of South Florida, where I also completed my M.S. and B.S. in Computer Science.

My research and experiences

My research focuses on trustworthy, transparent, and human-centered AI. During my Ph.D., I worked in the Cyber Identity and Behavior Research Laboratory, where I studied automated deception detection for non-engineering applications. This work integrated artificial intelligence and qualitative methods to address nuanced human-centered challenges. I am a strong advocate for user-centered design, ensuring that stakeholders are part of the process—including discussions about whether a technology should be developed at all.

In my postdoctoral role with NASEM and AFRL, I am extending this foundation by investigating how trust and explainability in AI systems can be advanced for applications in critical, real-world contexts. My goal is to ensure that emerging technologies are not only technically sound but also ethically responsible and aligned with user needs.

Beyond my research, I’ve served on program committees for leading conferences and published across AI, biometrics, and human-computer interaction. My work has been supported by fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the National GEM Consortium (sponsored by MIT Lincoln Laboratory), the Florida Education Fund, and USF. My notable research experiences outside of the academy include Ph.D. internships at the Pacific Northwest National Lab in the National Security Directorate and the MIT Lincoln Laboratory in the Human Health and Performance Systems Group.