ISI in the Media

ISI researcher collaborates with Financial Times to uncover coordinated online effort to sway Canadian election
Source: Financial TimesLuca Luceri uncovers a coordinated online effort to sway Canadian election.

AI for Support
Source: Inc.Jonathan May was interviewed in a story about the new AI app Nomi, and one young woman who developed a relationship with a chatbot

You are invited to a private screening of Cloudwalkers
Source: isi.eduPublished on March 3rd, 2025Last updated on March 3rd, 2025

Research teams awarded NEMO Prizes for work at the intersection of health, engineering
Source: USC TodayFunded by a gift from Shelly and Ofer Nemirovsky, the latest prizes address a rare childhood heart disease and a widespread cause of blindness.

An AI chatbot told a user how to kill himself—but the company doesn’t want to “censor” it
Source: MIT Technology ReviewWhile Nomi’s chatbot is not the first to suggest suicide, researchers and critics say that its explicit instructions—and the company’s response—are striking. ISI principal researcher Jonathan May gives his thoughts.

‘Venmo Is For Vices’: Paying For Sex, Drugs And Gambling On The Down-low
Source: ForbesISI’s Jelena Mirkovic shares insights on how Venmo transactions for vices are out in the open

IEEE Offers New Credential to Address Tech Skills Gap
Source: IEEE SpectrumThe program provides microcredentials for completing learning experiences

Misinformation rampant as fires ravage LA
Source: LAistISI’s Kristina Lerman discusses the spread of online misinformation about the LA wildfires.

Why Meta’s Fact-Checking Change Could Lead to More Misinformation on Facebook and Instagram
Source: TIMELuca Luceri is quoted by Time magazine, highlighting the risks of misinformation, manipulation, and content amplification under Meta’s new approach.

Meet the USC (Viterbi) Rocket Club that Shattered a World Altitude Record
Source: Fast CompanyThis profile story details the history of RPL, includes mention alumni space startups as well as SERC as part of the USC Viterbi space ecosystem.