Computer Science | Penn Today

A.I. is just as good as medical professionals at spotting disease, study says

Tessa Cook of the Perelman School of Medicine commented on the results of a study exploring the use of artificial intelligence in detecting disease. “Perhaps the better conclusion is that in the narrow public body of work comparing A.I. to human physicians, AI is no worse than humans, but the data are sparse and it may be too soon to tell,” she said.

Bots, biases, and binge watching: How AI shapes the modern world

A three-part series and podcast delves into the nuts and bolts of algorithms, legal and ethical questions, and ways artificial intelligence guides decision making.

The brain in the machine

Insights into how computers learn, the current challenges of artificial intelligence research, and what the future holds for how machines might shape society in the future.

The human driver

As the ability to harness the power of artificial intelligence grows, so does the need to consider the difficult decisions and trade-offs humans make all the time about privacy, bias, ethics, and safety.

The programming ethos

In a podcast conversation, Penn professors Michael Kearns, Aaron Roth, and Lisa Miracchi discuss the ethics of artificial intelligence.

aerial view of five kids laying and sitting on the ground working on laptops in a school hallway

Coding with kids

Since 2017, Penn Engineering computer science students have taught Philadelphia-area middle school students in multiple after-school coding clubs. The goals are to nurture an interest in computer science and increase confidence.

Strangelove redux: US experts propose having AI control nuclear weapons

Michael Horowitz of the School of Arts and Sciences weighed in on the possibility of the U.S. adopting an artificial intelligence-based nuclear weapon system. Since these algorithms would depend on the availability of large data sets, which don’t currently exist, Horowitz says “training an algorithm for early warning means that you’re relying entirely on simulated data. I would say, based on the state-of-the-art in the development of algorithms, that generates some risks.”

For Philly Tech Week, a showcase for cutting-edge robots

Penn students, faculty, and affiliated entrepreneurs showed off their latest legged robots, drones, automated driving systems, and more at the Pennovation Center as part of the annual celebration of the tech industry in Philadelphia.

Tracking readers’ eye movements can help computers learn

Dan Roth of the School of Engineering and Applied Science said it’s “clear to everyone” that signals within brain activity exist and may eventually improve machine learning.

Radical ideas spread through social media. Are the algorithms to blame?

Hadi Elzayn, a Ph.D. student in the School of Arts and Sciences, weighed in on the logic that fuels social media algorithms. Elzayn said that these platforms tend to cater to our immediate gratification, not our long-term goals: “This principle is often called ‘revealed preference’ in economics.”

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