Baobao Zhang, a Klarman Postdoctoral Fellow in government in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been named to the first cohort of 15 AI2050 Early Career Fellows by Schmidt Futures.

As an AI2050 Fellow, Zhang will work with the Center for New Democratic Processes (CNDP) to test whether public assemblies, known as “deliberative democracy workshops,” can be an effective method for increasing public participation in AI governance.

In her research, Zhang, an assistant professor of political science in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, tackles the problem of how to democratically govern transformative AI systems that are likely to arrive by 2050.

“AI systems are impacting more and more people in the workplace, schools, public spaces and on the internet. At the same time, risks and harms from AI are becoming increasingly apparent,” Zhang said. “Developing AI to benefit the public should involve citizens as key stakeholders in shaping the future of the technology.”

Read the full story on the College of Arts and Sciences website.