Our Mission and Values
The AI Literacy Lab at Northeastern University is a center for thinking, collaboration, and insight on communication in the age of AI.
Our leaders are media and computer science faculty, working alongside veteran journalists. Our focus is training and impact. We want to bring journalists and technologists together to understand the implications of new technology, communicate the work of technology development, and use AI responsibly to make journalism sustainable.
Our mission is to foster a well-informed global society that is equipped to grapple with the promise and pitfalls of emerging technology — and to use AI in the service of democracy.
Our Team
Rupal Patel
Professor of Computer Science and Communication Sciences
Professor Rupal Patel is founder and CEO of VocaliD, a synthetic voice company that was acquired by Veritone in 2022. Recognized as a Voice Industry Visionary, she is known for her commitment to ethical AI, inclusivity, and accessibility. Her work has been featured in TED, NPR, MIT Technology Review, the BBC, and more.
John Wihbey
Professor of Media Innovation and Technology
Professor John Wihbey is the author of “The Social Fact: News and Knowledge in a Networked World” (MIT Press, 2019), an affiliate of the Ethics Institute, and faculty co-director of Northeastern’s Co-Laboratory for Data Impact. His work has been recognized by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and Kantar Information is Beautiful.
Joanna Weiss
Executive Director
Joanna Weiss is an award-winning journalist who created magazines about technology and humanity for Northeastern University and the heathcare technology firm athenahealth. A former columnist and reporter for the Boston Globe, she is a regular contributor to Politico Magazine and appears on national and international TV and radio as a commentator on society and culture. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Slate, The Economist, and more.
Michael Workman
Creative Director
Michael Workman is an award-winning visual journalist who was a designer and digital design director at the Boston Globe and the Baltimore Sun. He has led teams of designers on cutting-edge storytelling through photography, video, and data visualization and has lectured on visual storytelling at Northeastern University. His work has been recognized by the Online News Association and the Society for News Design.