Incoming Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, Yale University
Postdoctoral Affiliate, Stanford University
afedercooper [AT] gmail [DOT] com
I research a variety of topics in reliable, scalable machine learning. I'm a postdoctoral affiliate at Stanford HAI, RegLab, and CRFM working with Percy Liang and Dan Ho. I am also a Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. In 2026, I'll be appointed as an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Yale University. I'll also be affiliated with the Information Society Project at Yale Law School, the Center for Algorithms, Data, and Market Design, and the Institute for Foundations of Data Science.
I am recruiting students for Fall 2026!
My contributions span privacy, security, and evaluation of generative-AI systems, MLSys, and uncertainty estimation. I also do work in tech policy and law, and spend a lot of time finding ways to effectively communicate the capabilities and limits of AI/ML to interdisciplinary audiences and the public. My research has received spotlights, orals, and best-paper accolades at top AI/ML and computing venues, including NeurIPS, ICML, AAAI, and AIES. Law collaborations on copyright and Generative AI have been lauded as "landmark" work among technology law scholars and the popular press. My research has been covered in the media at outlets such as The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Bloomberg News, 404 Media, and Wired.
*Denotes co-first author or equal contribution; full list