I study the nuanced relationships between AI, social media, and mental health, with a focus on building responsible AI technology that can solve some of our biggest technical and social problems. Social media and the AI systems that power them can bring tremendous benefits to people and their well-being, yet have shown their potential for danger.
I bring a cautiously optimistic take to AI development and ethics, and strongly advocate for “people-first” approaches that hold social concerns equally to AI innovations.
I believe that an informed public is a better public. As an educator, it’s one of my jobs to translate complex information about AI and social media for everyone. I enjoy explaining complex topics like AI, machine learning models, and social media systems to people to spark their curiosity. My work also draws on my slightly unconventional journey to being a Computer Science Professor and my interdisciplinary training. AI is not a mysterious black box – we can all grasp how it works, and it is in our control to consider thoughtful deployment and regulation. Colleagues and audience members have described my speaking style as genuine and knowledgable. I love stewing on hard questions and giving frank answers (it must be my years as a debater haunting me). </p<>
