AI Ethics: Bridging the Gap Between Public Concern and Global Pursuit

In an interview with The Center Square, Michael Kearns said that he’s less worried about autonomous machines becoming all-powerful than the challenges already posed by AI. “I think the harms that are already being demonstrated are much more worrisome,” said Kearns.

• Computer and Information Science

Scientific Frontiers of Agentic AI

It feels as though we’ve barely absorbed the rapid development and adoption of generative AI technologies such as large language models (LLMs) before the next phenomenon is already upon us, namely agentic AI, writes Michael Kearns for Amazon Science.

• Computer and Information Science

Warren Center Affiliates at ICML 2025

Twenty-six papers, posters, workshops, and tutorials from Warren Center faculty affiliates (including three Spotlight Posters) have been accepted to the Forty-Second International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML 2025). A huge congratulations to these affiliates for their impressive research.

• Computer and Information Science
• Electrical and Systems Engineering
• Mathematics
• Operations Information and Decisions
• Physics and Astronomy
• Statistics

Distinguished Faculty Retirement

The Warren Center recognizes the retirement of faculty affiliate Anita Allen. An internationally renowned expert on philosophical and legal dimensions of privacy and data protection, bioethics, legal philosophy, and women’s rights, Allen has been a member of Penn Law School's faculty since 1998.

• Law
• Philosophy

Guardrails Versus Leashes: Finding a Better Way to Regulate AI Technology

A flexible system of oversight, rather than a rigid one, is needed to make sure AI systems are safe, says Cary Coglianese. He calls it the “leash” approach, mirroring taking a dog for a walk. “We want technological innovation to explore and traverse, but we want to make sure that, as it’s developing, somebody’s overseeing it.”

• Law
• Political Science

Is Imperial AI Inevitable?

On the latest episode of his podcast, Kevin Werbach interviewed journalist and author Karen Hao about her new book, which chronicles the rise of OpenAI and the broader implications of generative artificial intelligence.

• Legal Studies & Business Ethics

Chief AI Scientist at Meta Visits Penn for AI Month Fireside Chat

Yann LeCun, the Chief AI Scientist at Meta, visited Penn last week for a fireside chat hosted by Michael Kearns. Kearns worked alongside LeCun in the 1990s at what was once AT&T’s Bell Laboratories. At the event, Kearns and LeCun spoke about their experience at Bell Labs and the importance of sharing scientific research.

• Computer and Information Science

Is There Such a Thing as Accountable AI?

Despite many concerns, AI is creeping into our daily lives and increasingly embedded in the fabric of our city, but who is studying best practices for AI that are more ethical and effective for society? Kevin Werbach spoke with The Philadelphia Citizen about how AI is predictably unpredictable.

• Legal Studies & Business Ethics

Amy Gutmann Hall: The New Home for Data Science and AI at Penn

Located on the NE corner of 34th and Chestnut Streets, Amy Gutmann Hall brings together Penn's efforts to harness AI and data science to advance interdisciplinary teaching and research. The building is the new home for the Warren Center, and represents a “new chapter in Penn’s leadership in the AI and data science revolution."

Introducing the Penn AI Council

The newly established Penn AI Council consists of five faculty members collaborating to enhance visibility and impact of AI research across Penn. Members include Warren Center affiliates René Vidal, Eric Bradlow, Bhuvnesh Jain, and Duncan Watts.

• Communication
• Computer and Information Science
• Electrical and Systems Engineering
• Marketing
• Physics and Astronomy
• Radiology