How Machine Learning Research @ Penn supports student AI researchers
Machine Learning Research @ Penn prepares undergraduates for research by discussing academic papers in small groups, much like book clubs would dissect a novel
2 min. read
Last year, researchers published over 50,000 papers on machine learning—a nearly 50% jump from the previous year. “Figuring out what’s worth reading is hard,” says Alok Shah, president of Machine Learning Research @ Penn (MLR@Penn), a club that helps students stay on top of fast-moving developments in AI.
Reading academic papers, especially about cutting-edge research, can be a tricky endeavor. Every advance in AI builds on prior work, so understanding one paper might require diving into the citations to find (and then read) many more.
“Quickly judging a paper’s technical merit and broader impact? That’s not something I learned in class,” Shah says. “It’s a skill I’ve been trying to build—and honestly, I’m still working on it.”
Class of 2024 graduate Keshav Ramji founded the club in 2023, which quickly grew from a small core to dozens of students, majoring in everything from computer science to bioengineering.
One of the main ways MLR@Penn prepares undergraduates for research is by discussing academic papers in small groups, much like book clubs would dissect a novel. “By putting our heads together,” says club member Alexander Kyimpopkin, “we’re able to understand papers better and keep up with the state of the field.”
This notion of a “reading group” is commonplace in the lives of graduate students and industry researchers but is rarely accessible to undergraduates outside of on- or off-campus internships. “It’s an effective forum to talk about the latest cutting-edge research, like you would in industry or academia, but tailored for students with less experience,” says Ramji.
Deepfakes, digital doubles, and the law: Jennifer Rothman on protecting identity in the AI era
The evolution of AI technology may require more robust copyright laws and guardrails that protect people’s control of their own identities, says the Penn Carey Law professor.
Bold ideas and innovation on display at the Fall Research Expo
On Sept. 15, hundreds of posters were presented throughout Houston Hall at the annual Fall Research Expo, representing the research projects of 410 undergraduate students conducted through the Center for Undergraduate Research.
Exposure to air pollution worsens Alzheimer’s disease
New research from Penn Medicine finds living in areas with high concentration of air pollution is associated with increased buildup of amyloid and tau proteins in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, accelerating cognitive decline.
