Dietram Scheufele

Investigator, Morgridge Institute for Research
Taylor-Bascom Chair, and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor,
University of Wisconsin—Madison
Thematic Area: Environment​

Dietram Scheufele examines how algorithmically curated information environments reshape how we make sense of the world around us. He’ll use his time as a One-U Responsible AI Initiative distinguished visitor to advance collaborative research on how people perceive AI, its disruptive applications, and its regulation. He’ll also collaborate with Utah faculty on grant proposals that develop strategies for AI-related public engagement. Scheufele’s recent work, for example, reveals a need to bridge divides: public sentiment on AI and its regulation is already splitting along partisan lines. In the past, that sort of divide has made it difficult to govern new technologies. “All of this is exacerbated, of course, by algorithmically curated information ecologies, especially on social media, that further sort audiences based on ideological and informational preferences and provide virtually no forum for the equitable and inclusive public debates about the responsible development of AI that we need as a society,” he said.

Scheufele’s collaborators include initiative faculty fellow Isablle Freiling—they recently published a study calling for a reimagining of science communication and research, including access to proprietary data from social media companies. Scheufele also currently serves as principal investigator for a $1.5 million John Templeton Foundation grant that uses large surveys of the public and experts to understand how people form opinions about AI and how we can better engage them in conversations about it.

Scheufele will be on campus to deliver a seminar and meet with potential collaborators the week of August 18. Seminar details will be shared here and on our calendar when they’re available. He’ll return twice in the fall to advance his collaborations.

Each year, the One-U Responsible AI Initiative invites up to five distinguished visitors from academia, government, or industry to the University of Utah to stimulate discussion and future research around responsible AI. Read more about distinguished visitors.