Join the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society and the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies for a collaborative event featuring Jonathan Stray, distinguished senior scientist at the Center for Human Compatible AI at UC Berkeley.
Title of Presentation:
AI and Conflict: Threats and Opportunities
Description:
AI technology intersects with intergroup conflict in several ways that are not yet well explored. Social media systems — which are increasingly AI driven — may amplify divisive or hateful narratives. LLMs may similarly exacerbate conflict, especially if they give different answers to people on different sides. Yet LLMs have also proven able to facilitate conflict resolution in several ways, including finding common ground. I’ll discuss the key ways that AI might harm or help peacebuilding, present recent work testing alternative social media algorithms with real users on real platforms in an attempt to reduce polarization around the 2024 election, and propose a practical definition of AI neutrality that conflict participants might accept.
About the Speaker:
Jonathan Stray is a Senior Scientist at the Center for Human Compatible AI at UC Berkeley, where he works on the design of recommender systems for better personalized news and information. He previously taught the dual masters degree in computer science and journalism at Columbia University, built several pieces of software for investigative journalism, worked as an editor at the Associated Press, and developed graphics algorithms for Adobe. He holds an MSc in Computer Science from the University of Toronto and an MA in Journalism from the University of Hong Kong.
