Ibrahim Khalilov
PhD Student in Computer Science @ Johns Hopkins · HCI & Privacy Researcher · Ex-SWE
Passionate about building technology that respects user privacy while advancing human-computer interaction through innovative research and practical solutions.
About Me
I am a PhD student in Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University, where I focus on the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Privacy, and Generative AI. My research explores how we can design and build technology that empowers users while protecting their privacy and autonomy.
My current research interests include privacy-preserving systems, user-centered design for AI applications, and developing frameworks for understanding the risks and benefits of AI agents in everyday computing. I am particularly passionate about creating tools that help users make informed decisions about their digital privacy.
Before pursuing my PhD, I worked as a software engineer at various companies, including Virginia Institute for Spaceflight and Autonomy (VISA), Thrillworks, and Fairly AI. This industry experience has given me a unique perspective on how to bridge the gap between academic research and practical, real-world applications.
I love tackling complex problems that require both technical depth and human-centered thinking. When I'm not researching or coding, I enjoy exploring new technologies and contributing to open-source projects that make privacy and security more accessible to everyone.
Research
Comparing Human Oversight Strategies for Computer-Use Agents
Chaoran Chen, Zhiping Zhang, Zeya Chen, Eryue Xu, Yinuo Yang, Ibrahim Khalilov, Simret A Gebreegziabher, Yanfang Ye, Ziang Xiao, Yaxing Yao, Tianshi Li, Toby Jia-Jun Li
The Obvious Invisible Threat: LLM-Powered GUI Agents’ Vulnerability to Fine-Print Injections
Chaoran Chen, Zhiping Zhang, Bingcan Guo, Shang Ma, Ibrahim Khalilov, Simret A Gebreegziabher, Yanfang Ye, Ziang Xiao, Yaxing Yao, Tianshi Li, Toby Jia-Jun Li
Toward a Human-Centered Evaluation Framework for Trustworthy LLM-Powered GUI Agents
Chaoran Chen, Zhiping Zhang, Ibrahim Khalilov, Bingcan Guo, Simret A. Gebreegziabher, Yanfang Ye, Ziang Xiao, Yaxing Yao, Tianshi Li, Toby Jia-Jun Li
Dark Patterns Meet GUI Agents: LLM Agent Susceptibility to Manipulative Interfaces and the Role of Human Oversight
Jingwei Tang, Chaoran Chen, Junnan Li, Zhiping Zhang, Bingcan Guo, Ibrahim Khalilov, Simret A. Gebreegziabher, Yanfang Ye, Tianshi Li, Toby Jia-Jun Li
Projects
Mobile Empathy-Based Sandbox for Privacy Awareness
In ProgressA fully automated, LLM-powered mobile application that creates a safe sandbox environment for users to explore and understand privacy implications of their app usage. The system leverages empathy-based design principles and intelligent language models to make privacy concepts more accessible, personalized, and actionable.
Key Highlights:
- •Dynamic instrumentation using Frida for real-time app behavior analysis
- •LLM-powered explanations of privacy risks in plain language
- •Interactive sandbox environment for safe, automated privacy exploration
Technologies:
GUI Agent Risk Modeling Framework
In ProgressA comprehensive framework for analyzing and modeling privacy risks associated with LLM-powered GUI agents. This ongoing research project aims to understand how AI agents interact with user interfaces and the potential privacy implications.
Key Highlights:
- •Automated GUI interaction pattern analysis
- •Privacy risk assessment algorithms
- •Framework for evaluating AI agent behavior
Technologies:
Software Engineering Experience
Applied AI Researcher
Scale AI
Working on evaluation and benchmarking of large language models, focusing on reasoning, robustness, and real-world performance. Designing domain-specific tasks to stress-test model behavior and uncover limitations in generative AI systems. Developing and contributing to structured evaluation pipelines, including prompt engineering, response analysis, and comparative benchmarking across model outputs. Collaborating with researchers to investigate model alignment, reliability, and performance in realistic scenarios.
Software Engineer
Thrillworks
Built and shipped multiple mobile and web applications for large corporations including President's Choice (PC Financial, PC Insurance) and Ryobi. Created responsive and accessible websites using modern web technologies.
Key Achievements:
- •Delivered production applications for major corporations like PC Financial
- •Built mobile and responsive apps with Flutter, Gatsby, React, and Tailwind CSS
- •Developed and maintained microservices using NestJS
Technologies Used:
Robotics Software Intern
Virginia Institute for Spaceflight and Autonomy
Developed applications to control robots using WamV ROS network for remote control and feedback reception. Fine-tuned pretrained models for regression and classification tasks, integrating them into control systems.
Key Achievements:
- •Built robot control application using WamV ROS network architecture
- •Fine-tuned ML models for autonomous navigation and control systems
- •Implemented effective communication between ROS nodes and Docker containers
Technologies Used:
Full-stack Developer
Fairly AI
Built scalable web applications for AI-powered fairness assessment tools. Worked with machine learning teams to integrate ML models into production web applications.
Key Achievements:
- •Implemented real-time notification system using WebSockets
- •Built AI risk management dashboard with Material-UI
- •Integrated Firebase authentication and developed user management system
Technologies Used:
Get in Touch
Let's Connect
I'm always interested in discussing research collaborations, potential projects, or just having a conversation about AI, mobile development, and the future of technology. Feel free to reach out!