PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Ben Zhao

Also known as Ben Y. Zhao

Ben Zhao is a computer scientist at the University of Chicago whose team created Nightshade, a tool he hopes will tip the power balance back from AI companies towards artists. He completed a BS at Yale in 1997 and a PhD at Berkeley in 2004, and he was an associate professor at UC Santa Barbara before joining the University of Chicago in 2017. His research line began in 2020 with Fawkes, an image cloaking tool designed to prevent unauthorized facial recognition models built from public photos. The Glaze Project, which he and Heather Zheng headed, won the 2023 Internet Defense Prize, and TIME named him to its TIME100 AI list in 2024. As of October 2026, he is the Neubauer Professor of Computer Science at the University of Chicago.

Timeline

  1. 1997–2004

    A Yale BS and Berkeley PhD

    In 1997 he completes a BS at Yale, and in 2004 a PhD at Berkeley.

  2. By 2017

    Associate professor at UC Santa Barbara

    An associate professor at UC Santa Barbara, he moves to UChicago in 2017, bringing SANDLab, which he co-directs with Heather Zheng.

  3. 2020

    Fawkes against facial recognition

    His research line begins in 2020 with Fawkes, an image cloaking tool designed to prevent unauthorized facial recognition models built from public photos.

  4. 2021

    An ACM Fellowship

    The ACM elects him as a fellow in its 2021 class.

  5. 2023

    A prize for Glaze

    The Glaze Project, which he heads with Heather Zheng, wins the 2023 Internet Defense Prize and a Distinguished Paper Award.

  6. October 2023

    The Nightshade poisoning tool

    A team he leads creates Nightshade, which he hopes will tip the power balance back from AI companies towards artists.

  7. 2024

    A TIME100 AI listing

    TIME names him to its TIME100 AI list in 2024.

  8. As of October 2026

    Neubauer Professor at Chicago

    His current post is the Neubauer Professor of Computer Science at the University of Chicago.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Ben Zhao yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Ben Y. Zhao – Department of Computer Science computerscience.uchicago.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  2. An Interview with Prof. Ben Zhao | UCSB Computer Science cs.ucsb.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  3. UChicago CS Prof. Ben Zhao Named ACM Fellow – Department of Computer Science computerscience.uchicago.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  4. Prof. Ben Zhao named to TIME Magazine's TIME100 AI list | University of Chicago News news.uchicago.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  5. UChicago Researchers Win Internet Defense Prize and Distinguished Paper Awards at USENIX Security – Department of Computer Science computerscience.uchicago.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  6. This new data poisoning tool lets artists fight back against generative AI | MIT Technology Review technologyreview.com. Checked 14 October 2026.