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Global Technology Outage Raises Concerns About Ease of Future Cybersecurity Attacks

The world came to a standstill after a technology outage reported Thursday evening grounded airplanes, disconnected hospitals and shut down banks across the globe. A faulty software update was to blame, not cybercriminals, but Florida Tech assistant professor TJ O’Connor said the outage’s cascading effect points to larger concerns about our society’s reliance on the internet. The outage, which affected users’ ability to access Microsoft 365 applications, was traced back to a defect found in a software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. CrowdStrike quickly released a statement confirming that the outage was “not a security incident or cyberattack.” The outage was nonetheless damaging, kicking institutions offline. Issues remained more than a day later. “Once those services go down, there’s this massive cascading effect,” O’Conner said. “If bank processing doesn’t work, then aviation doesn’t work. If aviation doesn’t work, shipping doesn’t work.” Ultimately, O’Connor explained, the biggest concern isn’t the glitch in the system; it’s the number of systems that broke because CrowdStrike wasn’t working. “I think what we’ll see a lot of people learn from this CrowdStrike incident is…that if they want to take the internet down in the future, all they have to do is hit one target,” O’Connor said. “It makes the threat landscape a lot smaller to attack for an adversary.” Over the course of several hours, a blue Microsoft error screen taunted companies worldwide. Airlines including Delta, American and Frontier grounded all flights. Several television news outlets, including the United Kingdom’s Sky News, were unable to hold live broadcasts. Some of the biggest concerns lie in the hospital industry, where planning, evaluation and continuous monitoring are essential, O’Connor noted. “[Hospitals] are constantly processing so much data, and for them to go out for a couple of hours means that decisions aren’t being made on an automated basis,” O’Connor said. “We’ve kicked over so much of our decision making to automated systems that we can’t let those networks fail.” According to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), the outage disrupted its appointment and patient record system. Mass General Brigham in Boston, Massachusetts was also one of several U.S. hospitals that cancelled non-urgent surgeries, procedures, and medical visits because of the disruption. 911 outages were also reported in several states, including Phoenix, Arizona, whose computerized dispatch center was affected, the police department posted on social media. In Portland, Oregon, Mayor Ted Wheeler issued a citywide state of emergency due to the outage’s impact on city servers, computers and emergency communications. Although CrowdStrike confirmed the incident was not malicious, O’Connor said it raises questions about overall reliance on the internet to make decisions, as well as ineffectiveness in securing it. “We continually have these wake-up moments where something happens, it’s large scale, it’s a news blip, and then we forget about it… but our adversaries don’t,” O’Connor said. “Unfortunately, the attack infrastructure and the ability to attack is getting easier and easier.” O’Connor also expects future network attacks to get worse, calling the unstable global environment a “national-level issue to address.” While large-scale attacks and outages are mostly out the individuals’ control, O’Connor said, people can take action to protect themselves from personal cybersecurity attacks by using multi-factor authentication as much as possible. Looking to know more?  Dr. TJ O’Connor’s research is focused on cybersecurity education, wireless protocols, software-defined radio and machine learning. If you're looking to connect with Dr. O'Connor - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

It Has to Matter Who Wins: Futurecasting the MLB All-Star Game

Globe Life Field in Arlington, home of the 2023 World Series champion Texas Rangers, will play host to the 94th edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 16, marking the second time in franchise history the Rangers will host the Midsummer Classic. MLB’s All-Star game – which matches up the best players from the American League and National League as selected by fans, managers and players – is considered one of best all-star contests among professional sports, said Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., executive director of the Curb Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business. However, the game faces continued headwinds, Wakefield said, ranging from lagging viewership to fan voting to a game that is more an exhibition than a meaningful game. Wakefield Weighs In: Five Thoughts on MLB's All-Star Game Is the MLB All-Star game the best All-Star contest of all major leagues? Wakefield: Yes, it’s the only one where players seem to try their best. The NBA and NFL – who have practically given up – have declining viewership since 2011. Unfortunately, MLB All-Star game is on the same downhill skid. (According to Statista, viewership has declined from 22 million in 1993 to seven million in 2023.) The reason why is it doesn’t really matter who wins. If the players don’t care who wins, neither will fans. Further, fans aren’t particularly a fan of only one league so that it really matters if one league has bragging rights. That was less the case years ago before interleague play. How could viewership improve in any of the All-Star games? Wakefield: It has to matter who wins. MLB tried this with home field advantage for the World Series. They gave that up. The current approach in baseball is truly an exhibition because every player gets to play, so it’s like three players at every position playing three innings. That’s not how a manager would play it if trying to win. And it’s not like it used to be when the starters (who were more likely to be the best at their positions) played longer. One suggestion I’ve heard is to make the payoff big enough for the winners so that the players gave it their best. Get a sponsor to put up the money so the winners each make seven figures and could be the players and managers will play more like a team trying to win. Does Monday’s prelude, the hugely popular Homerun Derby, enhance Tuesday’s game? Wakefield: The Homerun Derby is popular because fans do follow individual players. It matters more who wins. That said, the HR derby’s viewership has still lagged. Bottom line: Fans are loyal to teams more than to leagues or individual players. Fan voting… Need we say more? Wakefield: Major market teams with huge fan bases will dominate, but what about the Kansas City Royals, who at one point in the season were on pace for the biggest year-over-year improvement in wins and losses? Given the way fan voting has become essentially a promotion game to get more fans to vote more often, it’s hardly representative of anything other than largest markets with the best promoters. The good news is that the MLB All-Star game will be quite the occasion in Arlington, Texas, with a bevy of game-related activities and events July 13-16. Wakefield: Arlington is an optimal location central to the U.S. with plenty of space to blow out the occasion. It’s like the Texas State Fair came to baseball, where all the rides and attractions are baseball-happy. ABOUT KIRK WAKEFIELD, PH.D. Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., is The Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing at Baylor University, where he is the Executive Director of the Curb Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program in the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University. The author of Team Sports Marketing and founder of Wakefield Research Partners, Wakefield has conducted fan research on partnerships, pricing, promotions, sportscape, service, and anything else that explains why fans do what they do in nearly every venue in sports, including the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL and NASCAR. His scholarly works appear in a breadth of journals: Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Service Research, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research and Journal of Sport Management, among others. Wakefield is a regular contributor to Sports Money on Forbes.com. ABOUT THE CURB CENTER FOR SALES STRATEGY IN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT (S3E) The Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) at Baylor University is the only program in the U.S. focused on generating revenue for sports. S3E graduates have career opportunities in sales, digital marketing or business analytics for major league teams, university athletics, corporations and agencies. Baylor is the only university combining learning with practice in partnership with the Athletics Department to prepare graduates for careers in the business of sports. The S3E program is unique in vision, values, mission and culture to transform the business of sports and entertainment. Consistent with the Christian mission and purpose of Baylor University, we prepare passionate servant leaders to positively influence lives in places people go to play or watch others play.

From Facial Recognition to Deepfakes: What Could Be Done With Your Image?

Facial Recognition: Convenience and Controversy Facial recognition technology is everywhere, making our day-to-day tasks faster and more convenient. It offers substantial benefits, from enhanced security measures to streamlined user experiences. Airports utilize it for faster check-ins, smartphones use it for secure authentication, and law enforcement agencies employ it for identifying suspects. However, the technology also raises considerable privacy concerns. The pervasive deployment of facial recognition without adequate oversight can lead to unwarranted surveillance, potential biases in profiling, and the erosion of personal privacy. The Rise of Deepfake Technology Meanwhile, deepfake technology has advanced rapidly, leveraging AI to create highly realistic synthetic, or "fake", media. These hyper-realistic videos, showing individuals doing or saying things they never actually did, have become a significant concern. The potential misuse of deepfakes ranges from spreading misinformation and manipulating elections to causing personal distress by enabling crimes like fraud and defamation. Dr. Derek Riley, a seasoned media expert, professor and program director of the B.S. in Computer Science program at Milwaukee School of Engineering, is available to discuss how these technologies work, how they're regulated, how they can be used in a positive manner, and how individuals can protect themselves.

Water, resources and infrastructure

Across America we're seeing flooding, drought, epic storms and reservoirs running dry. Water, how it is controlled and regulated is an emerging topic.  And for the next four years, with the unknown impacts of climate change - water will be on a lot of people's minds. And as the Republican National Convention 2024 begins, journalists from across the nation and the world will converge on Milwaukee, not only to cover the political spectacle but also to dig deeper on the key issues that may decide the election. To help visiting journalists navigate and understand the depth of Milwaukee's heritage and modern vibrancy, our MSOE experts are available to offer insights. Professor William Gonwa has worked in the fields of wastewater collection, storm water management, and flood protection since 1984. His research focuses on the water resources area of civil engineering including collection systems and stormwater management. He received his doctorate from Marquette University, his masters from the University of Kentucky, and his bachelors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, all in civil and environmental engineering. . .    . Dr. William Gonwa Professor, Civil Engineering Expertise: Water Resources, Sewers, Storm Water, Civil Engineering education View Profile One may hear of news reports of large events and notice that they appear to occur more frequently than they might expect (i.e. a 100-year storm is reported in the news in the Detroit region more often than once every 100 years). A casual observer not well versed in what these rainfall statistics mean might be tempted to blame this on climate change, but the dynamic described here is not the result of just climate change. It is the result of the large size of the city of Detroit and the fact that rainfall frequencies are published for a point rainfall, not regions. This regional rainfall effect will occur in any metropolitan area with a large geographic extent. Why properly characterizing large storms is critical for stormwater professionals Stormwater Solutions June 07, 2024 .    .    . For further information and to arrange interviews with our experts, please contact: JoEllen Burdue Senior Director of Communications and Media Relations Phone: (414) 839-0906 Email: burdue@msoe.edu . .    . About Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) Milwaukee School of Engineering is the university of choice for those seeking an inclusive community of experiential learners driven to solve the complex challenges of today and tomorrow. The independent, non-profit university has about 2,800 students and was founded in 1903. MSOE offers bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering, business and nursing. Faculty are student-focused experts who bring real-world experience into the classroom. This approach to learning makes students ready now as well as prepared for the future. Longstanding partnerships with business and industry leaders enable students to learn alongside professional mentors, and challenge them to go beyond what's possible. MSOE graduates are leaders of character, responsible professionals, passionate learners and value creators.

Just What Does a VP do?

The role of the Vice President of the United States is a cornerstone of the nation's political landscape, serving as both a key advisor to the President and a crucial leader in the Senate. This position is not only newsworthy due to its proximity to the highest levels of power but also because it often serves as a springboard for future presidential candidates. The Vice President's influence on policy, governance, and national discourse makes it a pivotal role that impacts numerous aspects of American life. Understanding this role and its implications can provide insights into the dynamics of the U.S. government and its decision-making processes. Key story angles for journalists could include: Historical Evolution: Exploring how the responsibilities and significance of the Vice Presidency have changed over time, from a relatively minor role to a central figure in the administration. Influence on Policy: Examining the Vice President's role in shaping and advocating for major policies, including economic, foreign, and domestic issues. Succession and Stability: Highlighting the importance of the Vice President in the line of presidential succession and their role in ensuring continuity and stability in the government. Senate Leadership: Investigating the Vice President's role as the President of the Senate, including their influence on legislative processes and their ability to cast tie-breaking votes. Public Perception: Analyzing how the public views the Vice President and how this perception can affect their effectiveness and legacy. Vice Presidential Candidates: Covering the selection process for Vice Presidential candidates, including the criteria and considerations that go into choosing a running mate. Photo Credit: Truman Library By focusing on the role of the Vice President of America, journalists can provide the public with a deeper understanding of the intricacies of the U.S. political system and the significance of this influential office. Connect with an expert about the Role and History of US Vice Presidents :

Exploring Milwaukee and Wisconsin's Cultural and Urban Landscape

As the Republican National Convention 2024 approaches, journalists from across the nation and the world will converge on Milwaukee, not only to cover the political spectacle but also to uncover the rich cultural, architectural, and urban tapestry that makes this city truly unique. Milwaukee, often referred to as the "Cream City" for its distinctive cream-coloured bricks, with many historical and contemporary narratives is waiting to be explored. To help visiting journalists navigate and understand the depth of Milwaukee's heritage and modern vibrancy, our MSOE experts are available to offer insights. Discover the rich tapestry of Milwaukee and Wisconsin through the lens of two distinguished experts. Dr. Michael Carriere and Kurt Zimmerman bring unparalleled expertise in the fields of culture, architecture, and urban planning, offering deep insights into the region's unique historical and contemporary narratives. Dr. Michael Carriere Professor, Honors Program Director Expertise: Sustainability, American History, General Social Science, Honors Program, History, General Humanities, Student Affairs, Urban Studies View Profile Dr. Michael Carriere, a Professor and Honors Program Director, is an urban historian specializing in American history, urban studies, and sustainability. With a focus on the growth and challenges of Milwaukee's neighborhoods, Dr. Carriere provides valuable perspectives on urban agriculture, creative placemaking, and the Milwaukee music scene. His extensive knowledge of Milwaukee and Wisconsin history and politics makes him a key resource for understanding the region's evolving urban landscape. “To me, it’s a no-brainer,” says Carriere, now a professor of history at Milwaukee School of Engineering and author of The City Creative: The Rise of Urban Placemaking in Contemporary America. “Cities like Louisville, like Buffalo, like Boston have really leveraged the Olmsted spaces in their cities. … The reason I’m really excited about [the bicentennial] is that this could be the chance to have useful, and in some cases uncomfortable, conversations on how public spaces should look and operate in a 21st-century city like Milwaukee.” The Lasting Legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted and His 3 Signature Milwaukee Parks Milwaukee Magazine April 1, 2022 Kurt Zimmerman Assistant Professor Expertise: Deep Energy, Retrofit Integrated Project, Delivery Architecture, Design, Building Envelope, Building Science, Sustainability, LEED AP View Profile Kurt Zimmerman, an Assistant Professor, offers expertise in Milwaukee's architectural history, urban planning, and sustainable design. His insights into the city's architectural evolution and design principles contribute to a deeper appreciation of Milwaukee's unique urban fabric and sustainable development efforts. “If you’re trying to build buildings that are meant to last, look back in history and see what is still standing. Those are your models. It’s all about build it once, build it right, build it to last. I’m very conscious of the environmental aspects of our projects, whether the clients ask for it or not.” The Daily Reporter October 2, 2014 For further information and to arrange interviews with our experts, please contact: JoEllen Burdue Senior Director of Communications and Media Relations Phone: (414) 839-0906 Email: burdue@msoe.edu About Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) Milwaukee School of Engineering is the university of choice for those seeking an inclusive community of experiential learners driven to solve the complex challenges of today and tomorrow. The independent, non-profit university has about 2,800 students and was founded in 1903. MSOE offers bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering, business and nursing. Faculty are student-focused experts who bring real-world experience into the classroom. This approach to learning makes students ready now as well as prepared for the future. Longstanding partnerships with business and industry leaders enable students to learn alongside professional mentors, and challenge them to go beyond what's possible. MSOE graduates are leaders of character, responsible professionals, passionate learners and value creators.

Key topics at RNC 2024: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Cybersecurity

As the Republican National Convention 2024 begins, journalists from across the nation and the world will converge on Milwaukee, not only to cover the political spectacle but also to cover how the next potential administration will tackled issues that weren't likely on the radar or at least front and center last election: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Cybersecurity With technology and the threats that come with it moving at near exponential speeds - the next four years will see challenges that no president or administration has seen before. Plans and polices will be required that impact not just America - but one a global scale. To help visiting journalists navigate and understand these issues and how and where the Republican policies are taking on these topics our MSOE experts are available to offer insights. Dr. Jeremy Kedziora, Dr. Derek Riley and Dr. Walter Schilling are leading voices nationally on these important subjects and are ready to assist with any stories during the convention. . .    . Dr. Jeremy Kedziora Associate Professor, PieperPower Endowed Chair in Artificial Intelligence Expertise: AI, machine learning, ChatGPT, ethics of AI, global technology revolution, using these tools to solve business problems or advance business objectives, political science. View Profile “Artificial intelligence and machine learning are part of everyday life at home and work. Businesses and industries—from manufacturing to health care and everything in between—are using them to solve problems, improve efficiencies and invent new products,” said Dr. John Walz, MSOE president. “We are excited to welcome Dr. Jeremy Kedziora as MSOE’s first PieperPower Endowed Chair in Artificial Intelligence. With MSOE as an educational leader in this space, it is imperative that our students are prepared to develop and advance AI and machine learning technologies while at the same time implementing them in a responsible and ethical manner.” MSOE names Dr. Jeremy Kedziora as Endowed Chair in Artificial Intelligence MSOE online March 22, 2023 . .     . Dr. Derek Riley Professor, B.S. in Computer Science Program Director Expertise: AI, machine learning, facial recognition, deep learning, high performance computing, mobile computing, artificial intelligence View Profile “At this point, it's fairly hard to avoid being impacted by AI," said Derek Riley, the computer science program director at Milwaukee School of Engineering. “Generative AI can really make major changes to what we perceive in the media, what we hear, what we read.” Fake explicit pictures of Taylor Swift cause concern over lack of AI regulation CBS News January 26, 2024 . .    . Dr. Walter Schilling Professor Expertise: Cybersecurity and the latest technological advancements in automobiles and home automation systems; how individuals can protect their business operations and personal networks. View Profile Milwaukee School of Engineering cybersecurity professor Walter Schilling said it's a great opportunity for his students. "Just to see what the real world is like that they're going to be entering into," said Schilling. Schilling said cybersecurity is something all local organizations, from small business to government, need to pay attention to. "It's something that Milwaukee has to be concerned about as well because of the large companies that we have headquartered here, as well as the companies we're trying to attract in the future," said Schilling. Could the future of cybersecurity be in Milwaukee?: SysLogic holds 3rd annual summit at MSOE CBS News April 26, 2022 . .     . For further information and to arrange interviews with our experts, please contact: Media Relations Contact To schedule an interview or for more information, please contact: JoEllen Burdue Senior Director of Communications and Media Relations Phone: (414) 839-0906 Email: burdue@msoe.edu . .     . About Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) Milwaukee School of Engineering is the university of choice for those seeking an inclusive community of experiential learners driven to solve the complex challenges of today and tomorrow. The independent, non-profit university has about 2,800 students and was founded in 1903. MSOE offers bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering, business and nursing. Faculty are student-focused experts who bring real-world experience into the classroom. This approach to learning makes students ready now as well as prepared for the future. Longstanding partnerships with business and industry leaders enable students to learn alongside professional mentors, and challenge them to go beyond what's possible. MSOE graduates are leaders of character, responsible professionals, passionate learners and value creators.

Can you benefit in transferring high-interest credit card debt?

Photo credit: paulaveryevans According to Lendingtree, Americans have over $1 trillion in credit card debt. The average American has around $6,500 in credit card debt. When you factor in the high interest that credit cards charge, it can be a daunting task to get the balance to zero. Many cards offer 0% APR on balance transfers for certain length of times. But is it worth it if you don’t plan on paying off the entire balance during the promotional period? Wendy Habegger, PhD, senior lecturer in the James M. Hull College of Business, said you need to be careful when taking advantage of such offers. “The benefit one would get in this situation is short-lived,” said Habegger. “While one might enjoy no interest for the promo period, when that period is over, the interest rate they are charged could be more than the credit card from which they transferred. My recommendation is that if one does a balance transfer, then only do so if you are able to pay off the balance before the period ends.” Some may think of doing a second balance transfer but Habegger said that it is not a good idea and could have a negative impact on a person’s credit score. It also gives the appearance the customer is at increased risk of default, which could trigger an even higher interest rate and higher fees. Not only may one incur higher rates, it could certainly impact their credit score, which can have a long-lasting financial impact. Even a large purchase on a 0% APR card will affect someone’s credit score. “A large purchase indirectly impacts one’s credit score based on credit utilization,” she added. “If one uses more than 30% credit utilization, it could impact credit scores.” Personal debt and credit are trending and important topics in America today - and if you're looking to know more, we can help. Wendy Habegger is a respected finance expert available to offer advice on making the right money moves during volatile times. To arrange an interview, simply click on her icon now.

Expert Q&A: Should We Permit AI to Determine Gender and Race from Resumes?

The banner ads on your browser, the route Google maps suggests for you, the song Spotify plays next: algorithms are inescapable in our daily lives. Some of us are already aware of the mechanisms behind a targeted ad or a dating profile that lights up our phone screen. However, few of us may actually stop to consider how this technology plays out in the hiring sector. As with any major technological advancement, it usually takes society (and legislation) a while to catch up and adjust for unintended consequences. Ultimately, algorithms are powerful tools. Like any tool, they have the potential for societal benefit or harm, depending on how they’re wielded. Here to weigh in on the matter is Assistant Professor of Information Systems & Operations Management Prasanna Parasurama, who recently joined Emory Goizueta Business School’s faculty in fall of 2023. This interview has been edited for clarity. Describe your research interests in six words. Six words…that’s difficult to do on the spot. How about “the impact of AI and other digital technologies on hiring.” Is that condensed enough? That works! What first interested you in the intersection of AI and hiring practices? Before I did my PhD, I was working as a data scientist in the HR analytics space at a start-up company. That is where my interest in the topic began. But this was a long time ago. People hadn’t started talking much about AI, or algorithmic hiring. The conversation around algorithmic bias and algorithmic fairness picked up steam in the second or third year of my PhD. That had a strong influence on my dissertation focus. And naturally, one of the contexts in which both these matters have large repercussions is in the hiring space. What demographics does your research focus on (gender identity, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, all of the above)? Do you focus on a particular job sector? My research mostly looks at gender and race for two main reasons. First, prior research has typically looked at race and gender, which gives us a better foundation to build on. Second, it’s much easier to measure gender and race based on the data that we have available—from resumes, from hiring data, like what we collect from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They typically collect data on gender and race, and our research requires those really large data sets to draw patterns. They don’t ask for socioeconomic status or have an easy way to quantify that information. That’s not to say those are less important factors, or that no one is looking at them. One of the papers you’re working on examines resumes written by self-identified men and women. It looks at how their resumes differ, and how that influenced their likelihood of being contacted for an interview. So in this paper, we’re essentially looking at how men and women write their resumes differently and if that impacts hiring outcomes. Take resume screening algorithms, for example. One proposed way to reduce bias in these screening algorithms is to remove names from resumes to blind the applicant’s gender to the algorithm. But just removing names does very little, because there are so many other things that serve as proxies to someone’s gender. While our research is focused on people applying to jobs in the tech sector, this is true across occupations. "We find it’s easy to train an algorithm to accurately predict gender, even with names redacted." Prasanna Parasurama What are some of those gendered “tells” on a resume? People write down hobbies and extracurricular activities, and some of those are very gendered. Dancing and ballet tend to denote female applicants; you’re more likely to see something like wrestling for male applicants. Beyond hobbies, which is sort of obvious, is just how people write things, or the language they use. Female applicants tend to use a lot more affective words. Men, on the other hand, use more of what we call agentic words. Can you explain that a little more? In social psychology, social role theory argues that men are stereotyped to be more agentic, whereas women are stereotyped to be more communal, and that their communication styles reflect this. There’s essentially a list of agentic words that researchers have come up with that men use a lot more than women. And women are more likely to use affective words, like “warmly” or “closely,” which have to do with emotions or attitudes.  These communication differences between men and women have been demonstrated in social sciences before, which has helped inform our work. But we’re not just relying on social science tools—our conclusions are driven by our own data. If a word is able to predict that an applicant’s resume belongs to a female versus male applicant, then we assign different weights, depending on how accurately it can predict that. So we’re not just operating on theories. Were there any gendered patterns that surprised you? If you were to assign masculinity and femininity to particular words, an algorithm would likely assign “married” to be a feminine term in most contexts. But in this particular case, it’s actually more associated with men. Men are much more likely to use it in resumes, because it signals something different to society than when women use it. "One of the most predictive terms for men was references to parenthood. It’s much easier for men to reference kids than for women to reveal information about their household status. Women face a penalty where men receive a boost." Prasanna Parasurama Studies show that people perceive fathers as being more responsible employees, whereas mothers are regarded as less reliable in the workplace. We haven’t studied this, but I would speculate that if you go on a platform like LinkedIn, men are more likely to disclose details about fatherhood, marriage, and kids than women are. There were some other tidbits that I didn’t see coming, like the fact that women are much less likely to put their addresses on their resume. Can AI predict race from a resume as easily as it can predict gender? There’s surprisingly very little we know on that front. From existing literature outside of algorithmic literature, we know differences exist in terms of race, not just on the employer side, where there might be bias, but we also on the worker side. People of different races search for jobs differently. The question is, how do we take this into account in the algorithm? From a technical standpoint, it should be feasible to do the same thing we do with gender, but it just becomes a little bit harder to predict race in practice. The cues are so variable. Gender is also more universal – no matter where you live, there are probably men and women and people who identify as in between or other. Whereas the concept of race can be very specific in different geographic regions. Racial identities in America are very different from racial identities in India, for instance. And in a place like India, religion matters a lot more than it does in the United States. So this conversation around algorithms and bias will look different across the globe. Beyond screening resumes, how does AI impact people’s access to job opportunities? A lot of hiring platforms and labor market intermediaries such as LinkedIn use AI. Their task is to match workers to these different jobs. There’s so many jobs and so many workers. No one can manually go through each one. So they have to train algorithms based on existing behavior and existing design decisions on the platform to recommend applicants to particular jobs and vice versa. When we talk about algorithmic hiring, it’s not just hiring per se, but spaces like these which dictate what opportunities you’re exposed to. It has a huge impact on who ends up with what job. What impact do you want your research to have in the real world? Do you think that we actually should use algorithms to figure out gender or race? Is it even possible to blind AI to gender or race? Algorithms are here to stay, for better or worse. We need them. When we think about algorithmic hiring, I think people picture an actual robot deciding who to hire. That’s not the case. Algorithms are typically only taking the space of the initial part of hiring. "I think overall, algorithms make our lives better. They can recommend a job to you based on more sophisticated factors than when the job was chronologically posted. There’s also no reason to believe that a human will be less biased than an algorithm." Prasanna Parasurama I think the consensus is that we can’t blind the algorithm to gender or other factors. Instead, we do have to take people’s demographics into account and monitor outcomes to correct for any sort of demonstrable bias. LinkedIn, for example, does a fairly good job publishing research on how they train their algorithms. It’s better to address the problem head on, to take demographic factors into account upfront and make sure that there aren’t drastic differences in outcomes between different demographics. What advice would you give to hopeful job candidates navigating these systems? Years of research have shown that going through a connection or a referral is by far the best way to increase your odds of getting an interview—by a factor of literally 200 to 300 percent. Hiring is still a very personal thing. People typically trust people they know. Prasanna Parasurama is an Assistant Professor of Information Systems & Operations Management at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Prasanna’s research areas include algorithmic hiring, algorithmic bias and fairness, and human-AI interaction. His research leverages a wide array of quantitative methods including econometrics, machine learning, and natural language processing. Prasanna is available to talk about this important and developing topic - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

On the T-Swift beat? Our expert can fill any of the blank spaces you might have in your coverage

She's everywhere - and this month Taylor Swift restarts her world tour meaning coverage of this American mega-star will be global. Recently TCU's Naomi Ekas was featured in USA Today and Time Magazine where her expert opinion and insight into Taylor Swift's impact on American psychology is helping to explain her place atop planetary pop-culture. Professor Naomi Ekas teaches a course about the connection between psychology and Swift's place in pop culture at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. She believes there are universal themes listeners have experienced in Swift's lyrics but notes that the pop star's particular worldview may not translate to everyone. At the beginning of the spring semester, Ekas asked her students what labels they attached to Swift. Many of the responses reflected that were "these are white girl experiences, and this is white girl music and there isn't kind of that representation or that connection kind of outside of that particular racial group," she tells USA TODAY. "Everyone's dated the bad boy and they’ve had the friendship breakups and they’ve, you know, crashed and burned in relationships, revenge – these are pretty common themes across humankind, but then her particular life and how she's living them out might not connect to everybody," Ekas says.  April 24 - USA Today Last year, when millions of people were trying to snag Eras Tour tickets, students at Texas Christian University were working just as hard to get into "Psychology (Taylor’s Version)," a new class offered by developmental psychologist Naomi Ekas. “We take different topics and themes from her music or her life and apply a developmental perspective to it,” she says. Classes have centered, for example, on infidelity, revenge, attraction, and breakups. During one recent class, Ekas played Marjorie, the devastating Evermore tune that pays tribute to Swift’s grandmother. (I should've asked you questions, I should've asked you how to be, she sings.) Many of the 120 students started crying and asked if they could have a few minutes to text their grandmother or their mom or their dad. “We were all like, ‘Do we continue with class today? Because we’re very sad,’” Ekas recalls. April 19 - Time Magazine There will be no shortage of Taylor Swift coverage in the coming months - and if you're a journalist looking to fill a blank space in your story and avoid a cruel summer with no expert sources - then let us help. Naomi Ekas's research program utilizes a developmental psychology approach to understanding children’s social and emotional development. She also  teaches a course about the connection between psychology and Swift's place in pop culture. Naomi is available to speak with media - simply click on her icon now to arrange a time today.