His Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience project uses photography to evaluate how AI models make subjective choices.
In the tech world, new AI innovations are introduced seemingly every day. But Silicon Valley isn’t the only place where these advances are founded — some are made here on the campus of Stonehill College.
Computer science major Liam Barry ’26 teamed up this past year with Sam Goree, assistant professor of computer science, to tackle a current challenge in AI: the tension between objective AI models and subjective problems.
Their endeavor is just one of dozens of projects made possible by the Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program, through which students can apply to partner with a faculty member to complete a significant research project in their field of study.
For their SURE project, Barry and Goree built a working prototype of an Android app that tests deep learning models for a chosen problem.
“What we’re researching is how you can determine if it’s true that the model actually solves the problem it was written to solve,” Goree said in an interview during the project. “There are AI models trying to solve the problem of whether a photograph is good or not, but there’s no right or wrong answer, because that’s based on someone’s personal opinion. We’re working on an alternative approach that allows people to evaluate the models in real time.”
Here's how it works: The app eliminates the use of the shutter button found on a standard phone camera and instead allows users to select from four distinct AI models, all of which have distinct aesthetic ratings. As the user moves the phone in the way they typically would while taking a photograph, the chosen model reacts to the focus of the intended image. The photo is then taken by the app, allowing users to judge the underlying model.
“Through this user-provided data, the model will learn what makes a good image, whether it’s the composition of shapes or colors,” said Barry. “That’s going to vary a lot because different people find different things to be beautiful. It’s interesting for us to ask: Can we ever determine something that’s beautiful to everyone?”
Determining an approach with which to begin solving this problem was very much a collaboration between professor and student. “It’s Liam’s project, based on my research,” said Goree. “We decided on this project together.”
According to Barry, his participation in the project has allowed him to take the skills he’s learned during his Stonehill courses to a higher level. He’s used his Java programming skills to make edits to the app’s code while gaining new software engineering experience — applying math concepts to the ways in which images are presented on the screen.
Goree said that this exact type of experience is what makes SURE projects so valuable for Stonehill students.
“Students are able to learn about the theoretical parts of research while also getting to build their practical skills like programming,” he said. “It’s a testament to Stonehill that this is such a new and exciting path in our field, and our students are already able to get access to and learn more about it.”
Mid-summer, Barry presented his work to an audience of fellow SURE students, faculty and alumni. Long term, he views his participation in the SURE project as an impressive addition to his resume that will support his career aspirations in tech.
“The tech world has always had a grip on me,” said Barry. “I don’t want to limit myself to one area for my career, because there are countless things I could enjoy. It’s incredible that I could make something that has always interested me into a career.”
He added: “My goal right now is to get as skilled as I can and gain as much experience as I can. This project is a direct experience I can show to a real company in the future.”
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