In the Media – Public Interest Technology Initiative

Associate Professor Ethan Zuckerman Writes in WIRED on the Rise of Small Room Social Networks

Post category:In the Media
Post published:February 12, 2024

Associate Professor Ethan Zuckerman authored an editorial for WIRED titled “Social Media is Getting Smaller—and More Treacherous,” where he explores how the rise of “small room” social networks foster communities and spaces for extremist groups to share their ideologies. “Small rooms have a big downside: they’re as useful for Nazis as they are for knitters,” says Zuckerman. “These conversations, insulated from outside scrutiny, can normalize extreme points of view and lead people deeper into dark topics they expressed a passing interest in.” Read more: https://brnw.ch/21wGPS9

PIT-UN Advocates for Informed Investments and Training in Emerging Technologies: A Proposal to Guide $24 Billion NSF Funding Allocation

Post category:In the Media News
Post published:September 15, 2023

Representatives from the Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN), including UMass Amherst PIT Director and Professor Dr. Francine Berman, recently submitted a comprehensive set of recommendations to the National Science Foundation to inform future investment decisions, including how $24 billion in federal funding will be invested and operationalized. The group's recommendations included a call to make stronger efforts to understand the implications of emerging technologies and initiate workplace training programs that utilize a PIT framework. Read more.

Dr. Timnit Gebru Featured on Reimagining the Internet Podcast

Post category:In the Media News
Post published:September 1, 2023

UMass Amherst PIT Research Director and Associate Professor Dr. Ethan Zuckerman hosts Dr. Timnit Gebru, founder of the Distributed AI Research Institute and co-founder of Black in AI, on his Reimagining the Internet podcast to discuss how society can build just, useful machine learning tools while “saying no to harmful AI.” Listen to the podcast.

Dr. Francine Berman Provides Insight on Impact of ChatGPT and Teaching

Post category:In the Media News
Post published:July 6, 2023

In an article featured last month in OpenAI, UMass Amherst PIT Director and Professor Dr. Francine Berman discussed her experience when integrating ChatGPT into her teaching methods and its potential in enhancing student learning and engagement. Both the positive and negative impacts were addressed, as well as the importance of acknowledging ethical considerations surrounding its use. Read article. Envelope

Call for Student Papers @ PIT-UN Convening Conference

Post category:In the Media News
Post published:May 31, 2023

Boston University and Howard University are seeking paper proposals from undergraduate and graduate students part of American educational institutions and from any disciplines for consideration for presentation at the 2023 Public Interest Technology University Network Convening. The 2023 PIT-UN Convening will be hosted at Boston University Computing and Data Science School, on October 12 and 13th, 2023. Envelope

Intro to Public Interest Technology: Semester Highlights

Post category:In the Media News
Post published:May 24, 2023

This past semester, Dr. Francine Berman led the first “Introduction to Public Interest Technology” class. Students explored the socio-technical world and pragmatic strategies for promoting personal and social responsibility, and as part of this course, formed teams to work on Public Interest problems and develop interventions. A sampling of the projects and their hard work is shown in the posters below. Regulation of AI Chatbots View larger version Licenses and Cloaking and AI, Oh My! View larger version The Racial Implications of Facial Recognition Technology when Used by Law Enforcement View larger version Stop the Spread: Deepfakes on Social Media View larger version For more information, contact Professor Fran Berman, fberman@umass.edu. Envelope