Q&A: What is the best route to fairer AI systems?

Thursday, February 15, 2024

In December, the European Union passed the AI Act, the first major law aiming to regulate technologies that fall under the umbrella of artificial intelligence. The legislation might have arrived sooner, but the sudden success of ChatGPT in late 2022 demanded the act be updated.The EU’s act, however, does not mention fairness — a measure looking at how well a system avoids discrimination. The field studying fairness in machine learning (a sub-field of AI) is relatively new, so clear regulation is still in development.Mike Teodorescu, a University of Washington assistant professor in the Inf

Aylin Caliskan joins leadership of UW Tech Policy Lab

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

The co-directors of UW’s Tech Policy Lab are familiar with breaking ground and testing new ideas together. Since 2013, they have partnered in research and education to guide conversations around topics with no clear path to an answer or oftentimes even a precedent.This prepared them well for the task of replacing one of their own.For a few years, Information School Professor Batya Friedman had been planning her transition away from university work, which meant also stepping down from her role as co-director of TPL. This was new terrain for the Lab, which had been governed by the same trio si

Library leader Tracie D. Hall to join iSchool faculty

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Tracie D. Hall will join the Information School this fall as a Distinguished Practitioner in Residence. Hall, a 2000 graduate of the iSchool Master of Library and Information Science program, has served in a variety of roles in libraries, government, academia and the arts. They include tenures as vice president of strategy and organizational development at the Queens Public Library, as assistant dean of Dominican University’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science, as Culture program director at the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation, and as deputy commissioner of Chicago's Departmen

At the iSchool, we welcome the challenges and possibilities of AI

Monday, February 12, 2024

I am a huge proponent of artificial intelligence. In my research, I build systems that identify patterns that can be gleaned from your smartphone or any smart device. By studying student populations, we’ve been able to detect when students are suffering from depression and predict whether their GPAs will be above or below the university average. With this knowledge, we can provide additional support to students in need — just one example of the promise of AI.The term AI has been around for 60 years, and most of us were using it before the recent phenomenon of generative AI tools such as Ch

Winfo Hackathon overflows with ideas

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

With close to 250 students participating and more than 100 on the waitlist, this year’s Winfo Hackathon was the biggest yet. Led by the Women in Informatics student group, the hackathon brought students to the University of Washington HUB on Jan. 27 to work on projects and develop solutions to a wide array of issues. This year’s hackathon theme was “infinite possibilities and infinite solutions.” Keynote speaker Amy J. Ko, a professor in the Information School, kicked off the event emphasizing the value of the hackathon experience and celebrating human potential and creativity.&nb

MSIM online students sharpen skills, build community

Friday, February 2, 2024

More than 50 online students and several alumni from the Information School’s Master of Science in Information Management program gathered at the University of Washington campus for the second annual MSIM Online Student Summit to discuss leadership and artificial intelligence. The Jan. 26-27 summit began with a Friday evening reception at Kane Hall, featuring a keynote conversation with Stephanie Ballard, senior practice development manager in Microsoft’s Office of Responsible AI. Ballard is an alum of both the Master of Library and Information Science and Ph.D. programs at the iSchoo

iSchool study abroad expands to five countries

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Studying abroad offers students the chance to improve their language skills, to better understand different viewpoints, and to make global connections to what they’ve learned on campus. The University of Washington Information School now offers five study abroad programs and a variety of opportunities for students to deepen their learning with a global perspective.Since beginning to offer study abroad programs in 2008, the iSchool has expanded on its course offerings. In 2024 the iSchool will lead journeys to the Netherlands, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Ethiopia and Portugal. Progr

ASIS&T honors Nicholas Belkin, '70, for career achievements

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Since earning his Master of Librarianship at the University of Washington in 1970, Nicholas Belkin has had a distinguished career as one of the leading scholars in the field of information science. The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) recently recognized him for it with its inaugural ASIS&T Fellow Award.The award recognizes individuals who have made substantial and sustained contributions to ASIS&T and the broader field of information science. A longtime professor at Rutgers University, Belkin has authored or co-authored more than 200 journal articles,

In a challenging labor market, we're here to help iSchool alumni

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

The current landscape of uncertainty, unpredictability and unease has reached those of us in the once impermeable tech field. We at the iSchool want our alumni to know that we stand with you — especially if the cuts have directly impacted you.As companies look to cut costs in the face of softening demand and rising inflation, the result is usually layoffs. Please let us be a support to you if this worst-case scenario becomes a reality. We would like to offer a list of resources that are available to iSchool alumni:The University of Washington Career & Internship Center provides complimen

iStartup Lab gives student entrepreneurs a boost

Monday, January 8, 2024

The promise of AI can be seen in a service like Pivot, which offers mid-career professionals a way to easily switch from one job to another. A nurse who wants to become a data analyst could log on to the career-transition platform, answer a few questions and upload a resume.  The platform, backed by artificial intelligence and the expertise of human resources professionals, would provide a path forward, highlighting skill gaps, refining a resume and cover letter, and even automatically applying for jobs.Pivot doesn’t exist. Not yet. But it could.It’s one of the inaugural pro

Internships help iSchool students hone in on careers

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Resumes, cover letters, interviews — searching for internships can feel overwhelming. While it is no easy feat, the internship experience of seven iSchool students shows the whole process is worthwhile. Eric Von Carlos Latham II (pictured above, at left) is a senior in the Informatics program with a prominent TikTok presence, providing students with professional and educational tips on topics such as finding internships and jobs. Latham interned at Google this past summer as a full stack software engineer with the advertiser safety infrastructure team. He primarily worked on two pr