Thomas Thebaud

Thomas Thebaud

Currently transitioning from the Johns Hopkins University, USA to the AMIAD, FR. I work on speech technologies, AI, and security, with a focus on speech anonymization, deepfake detection, speech-aware large language models, and speaker recognition. My research explores trustworthy and privacy-preserving speech processing, as well as national and international collaborations.

AI for Biometric Systems: Techniques, Applications, and Ethics (EN.520.612/EN.520.412)

400/600 Course, Johns Hopkins University, ECE, 2026

Following its launch in Spring 2025, I offered an updated version of AI for Biometric Systems: Techniques, Applications, and Ethics for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in Spring 2026. The three-credit course combined one extended weekly lecture with a shorter practical session and accommodated more students than the previous offering.

Course Description

The course examined the design and deployment of biometric authentication systems, including both traditional approaches and modern AI-driven techniques. Students studied behavioral and physiological biometrics—such as speech, face, gait, and handwriting recognition—and their use in commercial, governmental, and forensic contexts. The course also emphasized ethical, legal, and societal implications, including privacy, bias, and responsible AI deployment.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, students will:

  • Explain and compare traditional and AI-based authentication methods and their security trade-offs.
  • Design and implement behavioral and physiological biometric systems for identification and verification.
  • Critically analyze applications of biometric technologies across commercial and forensic domains.
  • Assess the legal, ethical, and moral implications of biometric data collection, processing, and usage.
  • Engage with current debates and case studies in AI ethics and data protection.