Personal tech, social media, and the “decline of humanity”
In Compton Lecture at MIT, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt warns of dramatic global decay in cognition, attention spans, and civic life, and urges curbs to tech use.
Study: AI chatbots provide less-accurate information to vulnerable users
Research from the MIT Center for Constructive Communication finds leading AI models perform worse for users with lower English proficiency, less formal education, and non-US origins.
Personalization features can make LLMs more agreeable
The context of long-term conversations can cause an LLM to begin mirroring the user’s viewpoints, possibly reducing accuracy or creating a virtual echo-chamber.
Brian Hedden named co-associate dean of Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing
He joins Nikos Trichakis in guiding the cross-cutting initiative of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing.
3 Questions: Why meritocracy is hard to achieve
Professor Emilio Castilla explains how bias can creep into employers’ talent management processes — and what leaders can do to make their organizations fairer and more meritocratic.
MIT scientists investigate memorization risk in the age of clinical AI
New research demonstrates how AI models can be tested to ensure they don’t cause harm by revealing anonymized patient health data.
Q&A: On the ethics of catastrophe
Jack Carson, an MIT second-year undergraduate and EECS major, is the recent winner of the Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics.
How government accountability and responsiveness affect tax payment
Study participants in an in-person tax-paying experiment in China were more likely to pay their taxes if government officials were monitoring and punishing corruption.
What do we owe each other?
A new class teaches MIT students how to navigate a fast-changing world with a moral compass.
Bringing meaning into technology deployment
The MIT Ethics of Computing Research Symposium showcases projects at the intersection of technology, ethics, and social responsibility.
Melding data, systems, and society
A new book from Professor Munther Dahleh details the creation of a unique kind of transdisciplinary center, uniting many specialties through a common need for data science.
Envisioning a future where health care tech leaves some behind
The winning essay of the Envisioning the Future of Computing Prize puts health care disparities at the forefront.
Enhancing the future of teaching and learning at MIT
The MIT Festival of Learning sparked discussions on better integrating a sense of purpose and social responsibility into hands-on education.
“An AI future that honors dignity for everyone”
As artificial intelligence develops, we must ask vital questions about ourselves and our society, Ben Vinson III contends in the 2025 Compton Lecture.
3 Questions: Visualizing research in the age of AI
Felice Frankel discusses the implications of generative AI when communicating science visually.