Keeping children's autism videos private so they can be shared safely
AVAIL: Anonymization of Videos using AI for Large scale data sharing
This project uses AI to hide faces and voices in videos of children with autism so researchers and clinicians can share and use the recordings without revealing identity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11289327 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If my child takes part, the team will work with video recordings of children's behavior and use new AI methods to change faces and voices while trying to keep the behavior signals intact. They plan to compare three privacy approaches to see how well each protects identity and still lets experts or algorithms read the child's behavior. Much of the AI used so far was trained on adults, so the researchers will adapt and test these tools for children with autism. The aim is to make large, privacy-protected video collections available so more people can help improve diagnosis and therapy access.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children with autism whose caregivers agree to provide or allow research use of video recordings of the child's behavior are the ideal participants.
Not a fit: Adults with autism or children whose caregivers cannot or will not share videos are unlikely to directly benefit from joining this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let many more researchers and clinicians access privacy-protected video data to speed development of better autism screening and treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Related AI tools have altered adult faces and voices for privacy, but applying and validating these methods for children with autism is largely new and unproven.
Where this research is happening
Gainesville, United States
- University of Florida — Gainesville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jain, Eakta — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Jain, Eakta
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.