Melding AI and RNA: $18M NSF AIRFoundry to Revolutionize RNA Research

The U.S. National Science Foundation Artificial Intelligence-driven RNA Foundry (NSF AIRFoundry) will use AI to design, optimize and synthesize RNA and delivery vehicles by augmenting human expertise. Zack Ives will serve as NSF AIRFoundry’s associate director of knowledge sharing.

• Computer and Information Science

Chatbots in Healthcare: The Ultimate Turing Test

Lyle Ungar and Chris Callison-Burch joined Kevin Johnson's podcast, Informatics in the Round, to talk about what chatbots are, whether they present the markers of true artificial intelligence, what innovations we are looking forward to, and the benefits and barriers to integrating them into our healthcare settings.

• Computer and Information Science

Detecting Machine-Generated Text: An Arms Race With the Advancements of Large Language Models

Today, many commercial detectors are claiming to be highly successful at detecting machine-generated text, with up to 99% accuracy, but are these claims too good to be true? Chris Callison-Burch and Liam Dugan aimed to find out in their recent paper.

• Computer and Information Science

Robin Pemantle Elected to the National Academy of Sciences

Congratulations to Robin Pemantle, who has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Considered one of the highest honors a scientist can receive, NAS membership recognizes distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

• Mathematics

The Law & Society Association’s 2024 Harry J. Kalven, Jr. Prize

The Law & Society Association has awarded the 2024 Harry J. Kalven, Jr. Prize to Tom Baker for his “continuing and most distinguished theoretical-empirical contributions to the advancement of law and society research.”

• Law

The Wharton School establishes Wharton AI & Analytics Initiative

In an initiative that includes strategic investment in artificial intelligence research and teaching, Wharton announces the first business school collaboration with OpenAI. The Wharton AI & Analytics Initiative will be led by Warren Center affiliate Eric Bradlow.

• Marketing

Penn Engineering and Harvard Awarded $12 Million NSF Grant for Sustainable Computing Project

Penn and Harvard have been awarded $12 million for NSF Expeditions in Computing: Carbon Connect — An Ecosystem for Sustainable Computing, which will be led by Benjamin Lee and David Brooks, and will redefine the way computer scientists approach environmental sustainability.

• Computer and Information Science
• Electrical and Systems Engineering

The Wharton Moneyball Podcast Celebrates its 10-Year Anniversary

Wharton Moneyball, the popular Sirius XM radio show hosted by several Warren Center faculty affiliates, celebrated its 10-year anniversary this March, marking a decade of insightful, free-flowing, and data-backed conversations about the world of sports and statistics.

• Marketing
• Statistics

Investing in AI at Penn Engineering

How did Penn Engineering become a leader in AI? It began with the support of philanthropically minded alumni and friends of Penn Engineering like Rajendra Singh (PAR’10, PAR’11), Harlan Stone (C’80, PAR’13) and Warren Center Founding Donor Fred Warren (ME’60, WG’61, PAR’87, PAR’19)

Does simple guesswork lead to more cooperation than complicated calculus?

In two papers, one published in PLoS Computational Biology and the other in the Journal of Theoretical Biology, Erol Akçay and other researchers explored how reasoning strategies can be effectively modeled and applied to enhance biologists’ understanding of social dynamics.

• Biology