Research Explores How a Wikipedia-Like Approach Could Improve AI Evaluation
April 2024 CASMI researchers developed a tool that supports community-driven data curation for AI evaluation.
News
A New Era of AI-Generated Content
April 2024 MSAI director Kristian Hammond discusses OpenAI's new Sora model and its ability to create realistic video.
from Master of Science in Artificial Intellience (MSAI)
Online Users Navigate Mental Health Information, Empowered to Help Make Changes
March 2024 Access to mental health services is limited, so people are turning to the internet to find the information they need. New research finds this information-gathering process is cyclical and involves both search engines and social media platforms. The discovery is aimed at empowering online users to help make design changes.
Engaging with Lawmakers, Business Leaders to Promote AI Safety
March 2024 CASMI is engaging with lawmakers and business leaders as it educates the public about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
Opinion: The City that Works needs to put AI to work
March 2024 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond explains how the city of Chicago should embrace its Second City nickname to put AI to work.
from Crain's Chicago Business
Harnessing the Power of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
March 2024 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond is a member of Northwestern's newly created Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DS/AI) Steering Committee.
from Northwestern Leadership Notes
CASMI Recognizes Research Focused on Preventing, Mitigating AI Harms
February 2024 CASMI is supporting AI safety research through the AI Incidents and Best Practices track at the Thirty-Sixth Annual Conference on Innovative Applications of Artificial Intelligence (IAAI-24).
Ultra-realistic artificial intelligence video is here
February 2024 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond tells CNN, "The clarity of truth we thought we had with recorded photography and video is gone."
from CNN
OpenAI video-generator Sora risks fueling propaganda and bias, experts say
February 2024 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond says AI products carry the potential to improve and ease video storytelling, but they could also supercharge internet misinformation and enhance government propaganda, blurring the already-faint line between real and fake content online.
from ABC News
AI professional headshots are quick and easy. But should you use one?
February 2024 “It’s time to admit we’re soon going to be surrounded by representations of the world which aren’t real … and they will become less and less real every day,” said CASMI Director Kristian Hammond.
from Washington Post
Oversight Board Urges Meta to Rethink its Policy on Manipulated Media in High-Stakes Election Year
February 2024 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond joined “Chicago Tonight” on Feb. 5, 2024, to discuss the implications of AI on the election.
from WTTW
Tracking Political Deepfakes: New Database Aims to Inform, Inspire Policy Solutions
January 2024 The creators of the Political Deepfakes Incidents Database ‒ Christina Walker, Purdue University PhD candidate in political science; Daniel Schiff, Purdue assistant professor of technology policy; and Kaylyn Jackson Schiff, Purdue assistant professor of political science ‒ won the inaugural Northwestern Center for Advancing Safety of Machine Intelligence (CASMI) AI Incidents and Best Practices Paper Award.
The AI Will See You Now
January 2024 If AI is not already in your doctor’s office, you can bet it’s coming soon — with the potential to create major improvements in our health care and well-being.
from Northwestern Magazine
AI and the Law: The Jury's Still Out
December 2023 In law and legal services, large language models (LLMs) — such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard — could be a game-changer. Yet these technologies pose more questions than answers.
from Northwestern Engineering
Shirley Ryan’s Learning for Life series dives into artificial intelligence
December 2023 The popular lecture series drew record numbers with this year’s topic. CASMI Director Kristian Hammond was the series’ first featured speaker.
from Northwestern Now
Empowering Human Knowledge for More Effective AI-Assisted Decision-Making
November 2023 CASMI researchers from Carnegie Mellon University traveled on Nov. 6-9 to Delft, Netherlands to present findings from their research project, which is exploring key differences between human and AI judgment to support more effective human-AI decision-making.
Focusing on advancing safety and sustainability, UL grows its partnership with Northwestern
November 2023 In a cooperative initiative, UL Research Institutes (ULRI) and Northwestern University are working to bring safety to the forefront of the rapidly expanding field of AI and machine learning through their leadership of the Center for Advancing Safety of Machine Intelligence (CASMI) research hub.
from Corporate Engagement
Addressing Gender and Intersectional Bias in Artificial Intelligence
November 2023 On November 10, the Gender Equity Initiative at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and the Northwestern University Law and Technology Initiative cohosted the “Gender and Intersectional Bias in Artificial Intelligence Conference” to discuss how and why AI reflects and exacerbates historical and social inequities and innovative technical and legal approaches to mitigate those biases.
from Computer Science Department
CASMI Attends Chicago Innovation Awards as Top 100 Finalist
November 2023 For the second year in a row, CASMI attended the annual Chicago Innovation Awards as a Top 100 Finalist.
How Scenario Writing Could Help Us Build a Safer AI Future
November 2023 CASMI researchers are working to understand plausible AI risks through a unique, writing-based method.
Biden signs A.I. executive order – What does this mean for tech?
November 2023 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond says President Biden's executive order on artificial intelligence is about “how we can improve things, how we can do a better job, and making sure that all the federal agencies take rein over what they see as the problematic areas.”
from The Steve Cochran Show WLS-AM 890
Designing AI Tools for Underserved Populations from the Ground Up
October 2023 CASMI supported a special interest group (SIG) event on Oct. 17 in Minneapolis called “Purposeful AI.”
CASMI, TRAILS and FAS Collaborating with Federal Standards Body to Assess AI Impacts and Risks
October 2023 CASMI designed and led a workshop to support the expansion of the National Institute of Standards and Technology AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF) guidance from a sociotechnical lens.
Researchers Working to Translate Human Experiences for AI Tools
October 2023 CASMI research is aimed at helping designers form rich and accurate descriptions of real-life situations so that they can create context-aware responsible tools.
You and AI: How Artificial Intelligence can impact personal finance decisions
October 2023 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond says guardrails will help determine how much help or harm AI can bring to the world.
from NBC Chicago
Most AI-domination scenarios "quite stupid," distract from real issues: AI safety expert
October 2023 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond says AI is currently causing issues we need to address now, as opposed to focusing on existential threats.
from CBS News
AI is used to discriminate against renters, a Chicago-area housing group says in lawsuit
October 2023 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond explains how the use of chatbots to attend to customers can be positive or negative.
from WBEZ Chicago
Workshop to Explore Sociotechnical Standards to Better Manage AI Risks
September 2023 CASMI is co-hosting a workshop on Oct. 16-17 in Washington, D.C. to test and evaluate sociotechnical approaches for AI systems, focusing specifically on expanding the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF).
Researchers Investigating Popular Predictor Tool, Working to Mitigate Bias in Data
September 2023 CASMI researchers are working to understand what is causing bias in a popular predictor tool that is quick to train.
Patient-Focused AI System Seeks to Reduce Stress during Pregnancy
September 2023 CASMI researchers are studying expectant mothers’ stress levels to combat them in real time and even prevent them.
You and AI: A look at artificial intelligence in education
September 2023 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond explains how artificial intelligence is changing how students learn and what this could mean for professors.
from NBC Chicago
Ethical Framework Aims to Reduce Bias in Data-Driven Policing
August 2023 Law enforcement agencies are using machine learning technologies to forecast where crime might occur. CASMI has supported newly published research that is aimed at mitigating the risks in data-driven policing.
Award-Winning Research Highlights Challenges and Opportunities for More Reliable Human-AI Decision-Making
August 2023 CASMI researchers have investigated threats to validity and reliability in human-AI decision-making and have demonstrated how new methods may help address these challenges.
Measuring Safety in Artificial Intelligence: ‘Positionality Matters’
August 2023 On July 18 and 19, CASMI hosted 32 interdisciplinary scholars from academia, industry, and government for its workshop, “Sociotechnical Approaches to Measurement and Validation for Safety in AI," to discuss how to meaningfully operationalize safe, functional AI systems.
EU AI Act Is 'Step Forward in Trying to Wrangle' Artificial Intelligence
July 2023 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond discusses the European Union's proposed legislation aimed at reducing risks posed by artificial intelligence.
from Scripps News
Resilience in the Face of War: Ukrainian Researchers Investigate AI Fairness
July 2023 Tetiana Zakharchenko, senior lecturer at Ukrainian Catholic University, and Nazarii Drushchak, graduate student in data science, have balanced blackouts and empty classrooms while researching fairness and accuracy in artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Social Media
July 2023 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond says, over the next decade, it will be challenging to tell the difference between what content is real and what has been manipulated.
from Voice of America (VOA)
Study Finds Simple Method Can Improve Safety for Language Models
July 2023 CASMI researchers have found a simple and effective way to identify unknown and anomalous data for language models, which improves safety and reliability.
How does ChatGPT decide what to say next? Here's a quick explainer.
July 2023 Experts like CASMI Director Kristian Hammond explain how chatbots work and what large language models don't know.
from Business Insider
AI Ethics Debate at Chicago Conference, Precursor to CASMI’s Next Workshop
June 2023 Several CASMI researchers attended the Association for Computing Machinery Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (ACM FAccT), an event that is closely aligned with the focus of CASMI's next workshop, “Sociotechnical Approaches to Measurement and Validation for Safety in AI.”
Study Finds Eye Gaze Signals Provide Key Answers in Assistive Device Control
June 2023 Using eye-tracking technology, CASMI researchers gathered data about eye gaze signals, with help from 11 people with disabilities, and concluded that it’s likely assistive devices can be designed to allow for smoother control.
Experts: US needs to take steps to regulate rapidly-evolving AI
June 2023 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond called the idea that A.I. could one day wipe out humanity "shockingly overly dramatic" and a "distraction" from the real issue.
from Scripps News
Focus Needs to Be On Current AI Risks, Not Existential Threat
May 2023 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond responds to the Center for AI Safety's statement that AI poses a "risk of extinction."
from The Steve Cochran Show WLS-AM 890
Study Finds Machine Learning Technique May Worsen Fairness
May 2023 Researchers with CASMI have found that a commonly used technique in machine learning (ML), which is meant to improve accuracy, is more likely to worsen fairness for historically disadvantaged groups.
Examining Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency in Socio-Technical Systems
May 2023 The 2023 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (ACM FAccT) will be held June 12-15 at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago. CASMI-affiliated researchers are participating.
from Northwestern Computer Science
Tech Leaders, Policy Makers Weigh Both Risks and Potential of Rapidly-Developing AI Technology
May 2023 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond, professor of computer science at Northwestern University, said there are present problems we should address instead of focusing on existential risks.
from Chicago Tonight (WTTW)
AI expert: Technology has 'tools we can partner with'
May 2023 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond discusses the future of artificial intelligence as the CEO of OpenAI testifies about the technology before Congress.
from NewsNation
How Researchers are Using Artificial Intelligence to Help Low Literacy Patients Understand Their Health
May 2023 CASMI visiting researcher Francisco Iacobelli and his research team are creating an intelligent tutoring system for low-literacy Latina breast cancer survivors.
Biggest Risks and Concerns over Rapidly Evolving Artificial Intelligence Systems
May 2023 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond addresses the concerns and safety risks regarding artificial intelligence systems.
from Scripps News
Workshop to Explore Safety Measurement in Artificial Intelligence
April 2023 The Northwestern Center for Advancing Safety of Machine Intelligence (CASMI) is hosting a workshop on July 18-19 entitled, “Sociotechnical Approaches to Measurement and Validation for Safety in AI.”
Teaching Artificial Intelligence Literacy: ‘AI Is for Everyone’
April 2023 The Northwestern University Center for Human-Computer Interaction + Design (HCI+D) hosted a virtual panel on April 7 entitled, “Thought Leaders on AI Education.” The discussion focused on what curriculums are available for students and teachers in all grade levels and how adults can also learn about AI systems and tools.
from AI@NU
Fluency vs. Fact: How Industries and Researchers are Navigating Generative AI
April 2023 CASMI's virtual discussion focused on how businesses are using large language models like ChatGPT and how researchers are exploring the next developments of generative tools and investigating potential harms these systems could create.
Reducing Harm in Artificial Intelligence Requires Policies for Safer Algorithmic Systems
March 2023 Ben Shneiderman, keynote speaker at CASMI's last workshop, produced a TechBrief entitled, "Safer Algorithmic Systems.” His hope is to convince the government and policy communities to make safer algorithmic systems a priority.
Tracking AI Failures: Understanding the Past to Engineer a Better Future
March 2023 Anyone can go to the AI Incident Database to report AI harms or near harms, which are then classified as AI incidents. The database currently has more than 2,400 reports of AI harms, resulting in more than 400 incidents.
Should Police Departments Be Able to Use Robots?
March 2023 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond explains how police departments can best use robots to help in dangerous work.
from Scripps News
Meta Attempts a New, More ‘Inclusive’ AI Training Dataset
March 2023 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond explains why Meta's Casual Conversationsv2 is a solid first step but not a full solution.
from Popular Science
ChatGPT Can Help Students Improve Critical Thinking, Research Skills
March 2023 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond joins the Steve Cochran Show to explain why schools shouldn't ban ChatGPT.
from The Steve Cochran Show
Funding New Research to Operationalize Safety in Artificial Intelligence
February 2023 The Center for Advancing Safety of Machine Intelligence (CASMI) at Northwestern University, a collaboration with the UL Research Institutes' Digital Safety Research Institute (DSRI), is providing $2.2 million in funding for eight new projects across seven institutions.
Defining Safety in Artificial Intelligence: ‘We Need to Have a Community’
February 2023 CASMI hosted a workshop on Jan. 19 and 20 entitled, “Toward a Safety Science of AI.” Interdisciplinary thought leaders attended to share ideas on how we can define, measure, and anticipate safety in AI.
Researchers Pursue ‘Holy Grail’ to Measure Machine Learning’s Impact on People
January 2023 Researchers with the Center for Advancing Safety of Machine Intelligence (CASMI) have created a Human Impact Scorecard to assess and to demonstrate an artificial intelligence (AI) system’s impact on human well-being.
ChatGPT Can Be 'Exceptionally Great Tool for Education'
January 2023 CASMI director Kris Hammond appears on "Chicago Tonight" on WTTW to explain the benefits and the drawbacks of ChatGPT.
from WTTW
CASMI Hosts Panel Discussion on Defining 'Safety' in Artificial Intelligence
December 2022 Artificial intelligence (AI) systems have helped improve our lives, but they have also exposed people to harm. The solution requires a multipronged, inclusionary approach that focuses on developing a culture of safety, panelists told The Center for Advancing Safety of Machine Intelligence (CASMI) at Northwestern University.
Researchers Identify Coverage Disparities in Spatial Data
November 2022 CASMI researchers have identified urban/rural disparities in crowd-sourced data and geographic data used in spatial intelligent technologies
Artificial Intelligence: Is it safe?
October 2022 CASMI director, Kris Hammond, responds to the "Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights" issued by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
from The Hill
Researchers Develop DANGER Framework for Stress Testing
October 2022 CASMI researchers developed a framework, called DANGER, that can generate dynamic stress tests for safety-critical systems.
CASMI Named as Top 100 Finalist for Chicago Innovation Awards
October 2022 CASMI was named as one of the top 100 finalists for the 21st annual Chicago Innovation Awards
One Man’s Dream of Fusing A.I. With Common Sense
August 2022 Artificial intelligence systems can process vast amounts of data in seconds, but they can’t make sense of the world or explain their decisions. David Ferrucci wants to change that.
from New York Times
CASMI Announces Call for Research Project Proposals
August 2022 The center seeks to fund new initiatives critical to furthering safety in intelligent systems
CASMI Hosts Workshop on Data-Driven Policing
July 2022 Data-Driven Policing Workshop focused on the current landscape of data-driven policing, including best practices and implementation.
Building Social Science into the Foundation of AI Practice
June 2022 CASMI Director Kristian Hammond participated in a panel discussion hosted by CASBS at Stanford University.
from Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS)
CASMI Celebrates Launch with Ribbon Cutting, Panel Discussion
April 2022 Ceremony featured remarks from Northwestern, Underwriters Laboratories leaders.
from McCormick Engineering
Northwestern Launches Research Hub for AI Safety, Equity
February 2022 Supported by Underwriters Laboratories, center will foster research that integrates safety into AI design.
from McCormick Engineering