CISE: Unraveling the Hidden Biases of Artificial Intelligence
Excerpt from CISE | By Brendan Galvin, CISE Staff
For years, Boston University computer scientist and CISE faculty affiliate Professor Mark Crovella (CDS, CS, ECE, SE) has studied the invisible forces shaping what we see online.
The stakes are high: when YouTube’s recommendation system steers users toward more extreme videos, it can fuel polarization and misinformation. Now, with large language models generating instant answers, a similar risk emerges — these systems can reproduce or even amplify hidden biases in their data, subtly shaping opinions and decisions at massive scale.
As biases and misinformation in AI systems raise urgent concerns, Crovella is at the forefront of efforts to uncover the hidden mechanics behind these powerful technologies, work that could shape the future of the digital world.
In February, Crovella was named one of two inaugural Duan Family Faculty Fellows (DFF) in BU’s Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences. Backed by a gift from the Duan Family, the program is designed to bring together leading senior scholars who can drive forward the mission of CDS.
“It’s very meaningful for me personally, because I think it reflects both the work that I’ve done in data science, but also the work that I’ve done in supporting the creation of the data science academic programs,” Crovella, the academic affairs chair at CDS, added.
“There’s been enormous progress. We have put in place in the past five years a PhD program, a master’s degree, an undergraduate degree, a data science minor that anyone in the university can take, an online masters of data science, and there’s more to come.”