USC Engineering Students Partner with Startup Aurite to Develop Innovative AI Tools for Job Search and Travel Planning

A team of 12 master's students from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering's analytics program collaborated with AI startup Aurite over a two-month summer project to create practical AI applications. Under the guidance of USC senior lecturer Bruce Wilcox and support from Aurite's engineering team, the students developed innovative AI tools aimed at real-world challenges.

One of the standout creations is Mail2Hire, a job search AI tool designed to streamline the email networking process for job seekers. Tinghuan Li, a second-year student on the project, highlighted Mail2Hire's ability to generate personalized emails tailored to specific job applications, thus improving efficiency. Another group crafted an AI travel agent to assist users in planning trips by offering customized itineraries and recommending unique, lesser-known destinations. First-year student Yundi Xu noted this travel agent's capability to suggest worthwhile places that users might otherwise overlook.

Aurite's vice president of engineering, Paul Wilcox, praised the students for their rapid adaptation to AI technology and the quality of their output. The collaboration provided the students with invaluable hands-on experience and constructive feedback, which they believe will benefit their future careers in AI and related fields.

This initiative not only showcases the innovation emerging from USC's engineering program but also exemplifies how academic-industry partnerships can accelerate practical AI developments, making complex tasks like job searching and travel planning more convenient and personalized.