Kai-Hsiang Chou

About Me

I am Kai-Hsiang Chou, also known as Allen Chou. I am a Ph.D. student in the joint program in Societal Computing (School of Computer Science) and Engineering & Public Policy (College of Engineering) at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), advised by Prof. Joseph Calandrino and Prof. Lujo Bauer. I am a member of the CyLab Security & Privacy Institute.

I previously earned my M.S. in Computer Science and bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science and Philosophy from National Taiwan University (NTU). There, I worked with Prof. Hsu-Chun Hsiao at the Network Security Lab, NTU.

Research Interests

I study how technology affects people’s security, privacy, and safety. My research spans human-centered security and privacy, web privacy and online tracking, privacy-enhancing technologies, and technology policy. I aim to understand the risks people face in real-world settings, examine how technology policies shape their lives, and design technical and policy solutions that better protect individuals and society.

Beyond my research, I enjoy reading philosophy, especially ethics, social and political philosophy, philosophy of technology, and philosophy of privacy, as well as science and technology studies (STS). Although I do not do research in these fields, they have shaped what I believe matters, the questions I choose to ask, and the direction of my research.

Education

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, U.S.
Ph.D. in Societal Computing and Engineering & Public Policy (2026–Present)

National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
M.S. in Computer Science and Information Engineering (2024–2026)
B.S. in Computer Science and Information Engineering (2018–2024)
B.A. in Philosophy (2020–2024)

Miscellaneous

  • My legal name is Kai-Hsiang Chou, where Kai-Hsiang is my first name and Chou is my last name. Allen is a nickname I mostly used during my teenage years, and it has stayed with me ever since. I usually use my legal name in academic contexts, but in daily communication, either name is fine. My Chinese name is 周楷翔.
  • I was born and raised in Taiwan and currently live in Pittsburgh. If you’re ever in town, feel free to drop me a line and we can grab a coffee!
  • My native language is Mandarin Chinese. I also speak English.
  • It was existentialism that first sparked my interest in philosophy. I originally intended to study continental philosophy, but I ended up more influenced by the analytic tradition, perhaps because of its dominance in academic philosophy.
  • As of Nov. 2026, my Dijkstra number and Erdős number are both four. (Not sure if that’s brag-worthy, but it’s a fun fact.)
  • This website is yet another project I built while procrastinating on something far more important.