Prof. James F. O'Brien

James F. O'Brien, Ph.D.

Professor of Computer Science
University of California, Berkeley

Dr. James F. O'Brien is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley. His research interests include computer graphics and animation, simulation of physical systems, human perception, rendering, artificial intelligence, computer vision, virtual reality, digital privacy and security, and image and video forensics.

In addition to his research pursuits, Prof. O'Brien has worked with film and game companies on integrating advanced simulation physics into games and special effects. His methods for destruction modeling have been used in over 200 feature films and game titles. Prof. O'Brien was Chief Scientist at Pixelux (Oscar 2015), Avametric (acquired 2018), and Juice Labs (acquired 2026), and Chief Scientist/co-founder at Get Klothed. He is currently co-founder of KronosAI and Cosine Energy, and an advisor to Stand Insurance, ClayThis, and Augur. He has also served as an expert witness or consulting expert in multiple patent cases, including for Apple, YouTube, Google, Epic Games, Autodesk, Garmin, and Amtrak.

In 2015 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his work in destruction modeling with an Academy Award for Technical Achievement. In 2000 he received his doctorate from the Georgia Institute of Technology where his thesis received the College of Computing's Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award. Professor O'Brien is a Sloan Fellow, recipient of the Jim and Donna Gray Endowment Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, and FIU College of Engineering Distinguished Alumni. He was selected as one of Technology Review's TR-35, awarded Georgia Tech's 15 Year Impact award, and received research fellowships from the Okawa and Hellman Foundations. From 2010 through 2016 he served as Director at Large for ACM SIGGRAPH. In 2020 he received an award for Technical Achievement from Dreamworks Animation.

These links lead to lists of my academic publications, including PDFs and supplemental materials, other writing, and photography:

Current and former students: You’re welcome to connect with me on LinkedIn. Please mention in your connection request that you took one of my classes and approximately when.

Personal

Interests and activities outside the University.

Some of the activities that I enjoy during my personal time away from campus include photography, traveling, scuba, camping, beat saber, woodworking, and glassblowing. I also enjoy science fiction and using it as a context for thinking about life, the universe, and everything.

Are we approaching a technological singularity? Probably, and I think that it might arrive sooner than expected. I also think that it will be very different from the, perhaps naively optimistic, scenarios that many technologists forecast. Occasionally, I write about this topic.

Images from current and past research projects.

Images link to pages with further information.