Thursday, February 12, 2026
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM (ET)
Palamountain Hall Gannett Auditorium
Event Type
Lecture
Contact
Department
Computer Science
Link
http://ems.skidmore.edu/MasterCalendar/EventDetails.aspx?EventDetailId=37623
Does AI Give Good Advice? by Meredith Broussard
Abstract:
Under the hood, AI is just math. Does it make sense to take mathematical advice about travel? How about fitness? Does a machine give better interpersonal advice than an actual person? What happens when a chatbot advises a person to self-harm? In this talk, Meredith Broussard will explore when and why people trust algorithmic advice, where that trust breaks down, and what the research actually says about AI’s strengths and limits. Drawing on real-world examples of AI successes and failures, she will explore the ethical, social, and safety implications of delegating judgment to machines—especially in high-stakes situations—and offer practical guidance for deciding when AI can help, when it can harm, and whether taking AI advice is making us less human.
About the speaker:
Meredith Broussard is a professor at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University and the research director at the NYU Alliance for Public Interest Technology. She is the author of More Than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech (MIT Press, 2023, https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262047654/more-than-a-glitch/), as well as the award-winning 2018 book Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World (https://www.amazon.com/Artificial-Unintelligence-Computers-Misunderstand-World/dp/0262038005). Her research focuses on artificial intelligence in investigative reporting, with particular interests in AI ethics and using data analysis for social good. She appears in the Emmy-nominated documentary “Coded Bias,” now streaming on Netflix. Her work has been supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Institute of Museum & Library Services, and the Tow Center at Columbia Journalism School. A former features editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer, she has also worked as a software developer at AT&T Bell Labs and the MIT Media Lab. Her features and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, Vox, and other outlets. Follow her on Twitter @merbroussard or contact her via meredithbroussard.com.
Presented by the Sub-Committee on Responsible Citizenship, the Computer Science Department, and the Faculty Director of Civic Engagement.
This event is made possible with support from Brian Downing ‘86.