Faculty

Steven King

Associate Professor

Carroll 392

steven.king@unc.edu

(919) 843-9939

Steven King’s work focuses on the practical application of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to solve complex problems and explore how these technologies will reshape organizations, industries and higher education.

He leads UNC Blue Sky Innovations, an interdisciplinary innovation lab at UNC Hussman that brings together students, faculty and industry partners to research, prototype and deploy emerging technologies.

King’s work has spanned artificial intelligence, computer vision, robotics, virtual and augmented reality, spatial computing and human-centered design. He also leads the development of UNC Hussman’s AI Studio, an applied environment for experimenting with artificial intelligence, developing new AI-enabled products and workflows, and helping students and organizations understand how AI can be used responsibly and effectively in real-world settings.

Outside the University, King is co-founder and CEO of Blue Sky Robotics, which develops computer-vision, artificial-intelligence and robotic systems that automate complex real-world tasks. The company’s work focuses on healthcare, where it is developing visual intelligence systems to help hospitals automate critical verification processes, alongside robotic automation solutions used in healthcare, pharmaceutical, logistics and other operational environments. This work allows King to bring the challenges of building and deploying emerging technology at commercial scale directly into his teaching and research.

Before joining UNC, King was editor of innovations and director of video at The Washington Post, where he led teams developing new forms of digital storytelling, emerging-media products and business models. His teams earned 11 regional Emmy Awards in two years, and his innovation work generated new revenue opportunities for the organization. He previously worked as an overseas correspondent and multimedia journalist, traveling to 18 countries, and as a multimedia producer and picture editor for MSNBC during the Olympic Games.

King’s work has consistently crossed traditional disciplinary boundaries. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies and government agencies to use technology, data and human-centered design to address difficult problems. During an Ebola outbreak in West Africa, he worked with Liberia’s Ministry of Information to develop data and visualization tools to support decision-making during the crisis. He has also worked internationally on media, technology and conflict-related initiatives and regularly speaks and teaches on innovation, artificial intelligence, emerging technology and organizational transformation.

He has served as UNC Hussman’s Reese Felts Jr. Distinguished Professor of Innovation and Emerging Technologies and in a joint appointment in the University’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media and Kenan-Flagler Business School.

King holds a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Liverpool and a bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University. Steven is married, has three boys, and serves with Young Life and Chapel Hill Bible Church.

Education