Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping how residents interact with digital systems, from the algorithms behind social media platforms to the chatbots used in public-facing services. While these technologies present opportunities to improve access, efficiency, and engagement, they also raise important questions about safety, bias, and their impact on individual and community well-being.
In this HUP webinar, Dr. Stevie Chancellor will explore how AI systems within social media platforms can be designed to better support user safety and well-being, particularly for vulnerable populations. She will also discuss emerging approaches to improving chatbots to make them more reliable, ethical, and effective in real-world settings. Drawing on her research at the intersection of AI, ethics, and mental health, Dr. Chancellor will highlight key considerations for developing and deploying AI tools responsibly.
The presentation will focus on practical insights for public sector audiences, including how human-centered design can inform the use of AI in resident-facing services, and what safer, more effective AI systems could look like in practice.This webinar will be of interest to county staff, public sector leaders, data and technology professionals, policymakers, and others interested in the responsible use of AI to better serve communities.
Presenter Bio
Dr. Stevie Chancellor is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Minnesota. She is also a Senior Visiting Faculty Researcher at Google Research. Her award-winning research focuses on interdisciplinary work between AI, human-centered computing, and mental health, where she and her lab build and critically evaluate human-centered AI for high-risk mental health behaviors in online communities. Her work and opinions has been covered in over 90 press outlets, such as the United Nations ITU, TEDx, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic.
Dr. Chancellor’s research examines how to design safer, more supportive online environments, especially for young people and vulnerable populations. She also studies how to improve conversational AI systems, such as chatbots, to ensure they are ethical, trustworthy, and beneficial in real-world contexts. Through her work, she aims to advance human-centered approaches to AI that can inform both technology design and public policy.