Communications | Penn Today

Research shows there are no easy fixes to political hatred

A nonpartisan team from the from the Polarization Research Lab at Penn’s Annenberg School for Communication finds reducing polarization and “partisan animosity” is remarkably difficult.

Using artificial intelligence to improve public health campaigns across Philadelphia

Annenberg School for Communication professor Andy Tan and research associate and Lecturer Matthew Brook O'Donnell are interested in how artificial intelligence could make it easier for community-based organizations to improve public health in Philadelphia.

Understanding AI actress Tilly Norwood’s arrival

Tilly Norwood, the “AI actress” recently making headlines, has sparked debate in the media industry about the future of AI in filmmaking. Annenberg experts weigh in on what Norwood represents for creativity, ethics, and the evolving relationship between technology and performance.

How tobacco retail exposure impacts smoking behavior

Penn researchers have found that smokers report higher levels of craving and smoked more cigarettes on days when their exposure to tobacco retail is higher.

2 min. read

Instagram says it’s safeguarding teens by limiting them to PG-13 content

PIK Professor Desmond Patton of the Annenberg School for Communication and the School of Social Policy & Practice discusses Instagram’s limits on teenagers’ access.

School districts emphasize safety, widen probes as concerns grow over rise in online threats

PIK Professor Desmond Patton of the School of Social Policy & Practice and Annenberg School for Communication believes that solutions exist to combat risky adolescent online behavior, beginning with the acknowledgment of the role that the internet plays in children’s lives.

A Taylor Swift fan with friendship bracelets makes a heart sign with their hands.

Taylor Swift, storytelling, and climate communication

Clean energy expert and senior research fellow at Penn Joseph Romm says that Taylor Swift’s lyrics offer storytelling techniques that can be applied for impact-driven climate communications.

3 min. read

Good conversations don’t require everybody to agree, neuroscience shows

Emily Falk of the Annenberg School for Communication explains how brain imaging is illuminating the patterns linked to productive, positive dialogue.

Despite escalating anti-vaccine rhetoric, most Americans support vaccine mandates, surveys find

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center comments on vaccine mandates.

AI models are struggling to identify hate speech, study finds

Yphtach Lelkes of the Annenberg School for Communication led research showing that AI is inconsistent in its ability to classify what counts as hate speech.

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