Study finds strong negative associations with teenagers in AI models

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

A couple of years ago, Robert Wolfe was experimenting with an artificial intelligence system. He wanted it to complete the sentence, “The teenager ____ at school.” Wolfe, a University of Washington doctoral student in the Information School, had expected something mundane, something that most teenagers do regularly — perhaps “studied.” But the model plugged in “died.”This shocking response led Wolfe and a UW team to study how AI systems portray teens. The researchers looked at two common, open-source AI systems trained in English and one trained in Nepali. They wanted to com

In times of crisis, count on iSchool students and alumni

Monday, February 10, 2025

As last month’s devastating wildfires raged in Los Angeles, the city’s residents faced a barrage of falsehoods on social media along with erroneous evacuation alerts from official sources. In search of timely, accurate information, millions turned to Watch Duty, a free and nonprofit app that tracks wildfires and firefighting efforts. The app shot to the top of the charts on Apple and Android stores.In a public emergency, in the corporate world, or in our day-to-day lives, people need quality information to make decisions. That underpins what we teach across all our programs at the Informat

WINFO hackathon pushes boundaries

Monday, February 10, 2025

The HUB ballroom buzzed with the sounds of typing, conversation and event organization as 255 students teamed up for the 13th annual WINFO Hackathon. Over the course of 12 hours, students developed and submitted 70 unique projects, all with the collective goal to push boundaries and have real-world impact.The beginner-friendly hackathon is geared toward underclassmen and welcomes students from both Informatics and other majors, providing an opportunity to meet peers, develop skills and explore the field of technology.A total of 343 attendees, including 255 participants, 26 WINFO volunteers, 47

iSchool scholars play key roles in launch of UW Society + Technology

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Researchers from the Information School joined scholars from across all three University of Washington campuses and various disciplines recently to celebrate the inaugural convening of Society + Technology. The initiative is dedicated to advancing research, teaching and learning centered on the social, societal and justice dimensions of technology. The Jan. 9 event included rapid talks from UW researchers and a panel discussion moderated by iSchool’s Jason Young.Born from the 2022 Society + Technology Task Force formed by the UW president and provost, the program aims to create opportun

Researchers prompt generative AI to help with firearms study

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Researchers studying firearm-related incidents face significant challenges in gathering relevant data. Critical resources, such as police and hospital records, are often left incomplete, inconsistently filled out or lack necessary detail for thorough analysis. In a previous study, University of Washington Information School researchers used machine learning methods to scour those records. Now they are working with large language models (LLMs) to see whether they can produce better results. More accurate data on firearm-related incidents can play a crucial role in informing policy and

Amid soaring demand, Informatics stretched to the limit

Monday, January 13, 2025

The phone buzzed the same moment the email arrived last spring. Vikram Puri answered the call first.Puri had landed a prized summer internship in software development at SanMar, an Issaquah-based company that is the largest supplier of wholesale imprintable clothing in the U.S.Then, Puri opened the email from the Information School. He received his second — and final — rejection from the Informatics program, a major that he had set his heart on since arriving at the UW.State Impact Report: Learn how Informatics and other Information School programs are making their mark on the state workfo

State Impact Report: Information School bolsters Washington workforce

Monday, January 13, 2025

Informatics stretched to the limit: Demand for the Informatics program continues to soar. Support from the state and industry hasn't kept pace.• Read the storyThrough its teaching and research, the University of Washington Information School is helping to support Washington families and power the state workforce. Our State Impact Report highlights some of the ways the school is benefiting Washington: Meet alumni working across the state; learn about research that's making an immediate impact; and read details about how the Informatics program is growing and how it is producing a net gai

For iSchool athletes, success is a balancing act

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

When you cross the bridge from the main campus of the University of Washington to the athletic complex east of Montlake Boulevard, you can enter a different world. Past the lush leaves that flank the Burke-Gilman Trail, the arched stone walkway known affectionately as the Hec Ed Bridge takes student-athletes from the academic portion of their day to the part focused on achieving in their sport. iSchool student-athletes and alumni describe their experience as a gauntlet of academic work and athletic competitions. They will all tell you that combining iSchool studies with high-performance s

Museology program was alum's path to dream job

Friday, January 3, 2025

When Anne Longman was offered her dream job, she wasted no time.“The week after graduation, I packed up my car, put my pet goldfish in a Home Depot bucket, and floored it 4,000 miles to Maine,” she said. Shortly after graduating from the Information School’s Museology program, Longman was offered a job by the National Park Service as a visual information specialist at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Working within the Interpretation Division, Longman creates graphics that make the park experience educational and enjoyable for the public. Longman first came to the U