Category: Northeastern University

On Twitter, journalists and politicians have more credibility on vaccines than medical experts, study finds

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By Khalida Sarwari Black, Indigenous, and other non-white people in the United States are more likely to rely on trusted voices within their own communities for information about the pandemic and the coronavirus vaccine, finds a new study led by researchers from Northeastern. And, at least on Twitter, all people are more receptive to information shared by journalists and politicians on both the left and right than by epidemiologists, scientists, and medical professionals.  These findings—released amid Read More …

The recovery of the U.S. economy after COVID-19 hinges on federal support

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By Khalida Sarwari Even with a COVID-19 vaccine on the way, a full recovery in the United States from the pandemic’s economic devastation will undoubtedly take time. But, says Alicia Sasser Modestino, an economist and associate professor at Northeastern, certain measures can be taken now to position the country for a faster and stronger rebound. According to the latest jobs report published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an additional 385,000 people became long-term unemployed in Read More …

Northeastern University launches Institute for Experiental Artificial Intelligence

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By Khalida Sarwari Researchers and policymakers have warned that if the autonomous systems we’re increasingly integrating into our lives are not carefully designed, there could be serious repercussions. But there are also opportunities to ensure that human values stay at the center of new advances in artificial intelligence. At this critical moment, Northeastern is launching the Institute for Experiential Artificial Intelligence, a pioneering research hub that will place human skills and intelligence at the forefront of Read More …

‘What do we want out of artificial intelligence? And, how do we get there?’

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By Khalida Sarwari The rapid pace of artificial intelligence development and the impact it has had on our lives has been simultaneously ‘amazing’ and ‘terrifying,’ said Shawn Ramirez, the head of data science and engineering at Insight Data Science in Seattle. From the cars that we drive to the products and systems that we use daily, intelligent systems have infiltrated every corner of our lives, and much of it has occurred just in the last five years, Read More …

Cute robots, smart underwear, and facial recognition in church: Have we gone too far?

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By Khalida Sarwari In the near future, robots might be able to manipulate our emotions, everyone will be rated on everything, and we won’t be able to trust our own eyes, Woodrow Hartzog said. “I promise I will end on a positive note,” the Northeastern professor said Thursday, eliciting chuckles from a roomful of people gathered at the university’s Charlotte campus to hear him discuss online privacy. Hartzog, who specializes in privacy, data protection, robotics, and automated Read More …