Penn Engineers Help Launch TILOS, a New NSF Artificial Intelligence Research Institute Focused on Optimization

Through a $20 Million grant, the National Science Foundation has established the Institute for Learning-enabled Optimization at Scale, or TILOS. As one of TILOS’ partner institutions, Penn Engineering will contribute to its research on how algorithm-based systems can learn and improve upon themselves as they work.

Electrical and Systems Engineering
Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Social Norms for Algorithms

Well-connected members of tight-knit groups spread controversial ideas much more readily than “influencers”

The people who spread new and controversial ideas—changes in diet, exercise routine, political leaning, or even attitudes about vaccination—may not be the Kim Kardashians and Paris Hiltons. According to Damon Centola's recent study, those with the most actual influence are often on the periphery of the social network.

Communication
Sociology

Consensus and Contagion in Society

The Question Medical AI Can’t Answer

A good clinician consultant should be able to explain why they arrived at a particular recommendation. Unfortunately, modern AI algorithms are rarely able to provide an answer to the question of why they think an answer is a good one. Jason Moore addresses the use of AI in health care in this Scientific American op-ed.

Biomedical Informatics

Social Norms for Algorithms

Cryptocurrency & Fintech

In the latest video in the Wharton Great Question series, Kevin Werbach shares his answers to questions on the NFT boom, applications for Blockchain, and how cryptocurrencies impact climate change.

Legal Studies & Business Ethics

Resilience in Networked Systems

What Drives Your Decision-Making?

On this episode of the Finding Genius Podcast, Amit Gandhi explains the most common deep drivers of decision-making and their impact on behavioral outcomes, but draws special attention to the ‘random’ factors that impact decisions, but have no real connection to deep drivers like cost and utility.

Economics
Marketing

Consensus and Contagion in Society

Study Finds Surprising Source of Social Influence

A new study in Nature Communications from Damon Centola finds that as prominent and revered as social influencers seem to be, in fact, they are unlikely to change a person’s behavior by example — and might actually be detrimental to the cause.

Communication
Sociology

Consensus and Contagion in Society

Pandemic amnesia: Have we forgotten what we learned about PPE shortages?

"COVID-19 will continue to affect our lives on several levels; it has us questioning vital decisions such as where we really want to work or live. But it’s also important for us to start questioning the products we buy and from where we buy them, to question our role as customers, citizens and community members," writes Gad Allon.

Operations Information and Decisions

Ubiquity of Data

High-ranking hyena mothers pass their social networks to their cubs

Using 27 years of detailed data on hyena social interactions, a team led by Erol Akçay nailed down a pattern of social network inheritance and its implications for social structure, rank, and survival.

Biology

Consensus and Contagion in Society

Obscuring the truth can promote cooperation

People are more likely to cooperate if they think others are cooperating, too. New research from Erol Akçay shows that overstating the true level of cooperation in a society can increase cooperative behavior overall.

Biology

Consensus and Contagion in Society

WSDM 2021 Test-of-time Award

Congratulations to Duncan Watts, whose 2011 paper on "Everyone’s an influencer: Quantifying influence on Twitter" received the WSDM 2021 Test-of-time Award.

Communication
Computer and Information Science
Operations Information and Decisions

Consensus and Contagion in Society

News

Penn Engineers Help Launch TILOS, a New NSF Artificial Intelligence Research Institute Focused on Optimization

Well-connected members of tight-knit groups spread controversial ideas much more readily than “influencers”

The Question Medical AI Can’t Answer

Cryptocurrency & Fintech

What Drives Your Decision-Making?

Study Finds Surprising Source of Social Influence

Pandemic amnesia: Have we forgotten what we learned about PPE shortages?

High-ranking hyena mothers pass their social networks to their cubs

Obscuring the truth can promote cooperation

WSDM 2021 Test-of-time Award