artificial intelligence

In the Media

Green: "Antagonism toward data centers is real and organic"

Jun 10, 2026 Fortune

Amid allegations of Chinese interference in the data center debate, Ben Green argues that the increased negative public attitude surrounding them is real and organic.

In the Media

State governments are experimenting with AI introduction - Kleinman

May 22, 2026 Michigan Advance

STPP Managing Director Molly Kleinman says state governments don't have clear guidelines on using AI.

State & Hill

Faculty news, spring 2026

May 7, 2026

Ford School experts are publishing research, sharing their knowledge, and getting recognized.

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News

U-M experts explore benefits, harms of AI for people with developmental disabilities

Apr 20, 2026

STPP's new project will explore the potential benefits and harms of AI in supporting people with developmental disabilities, their families, and direct-care workers.

Policy Matters

Featured Fordie: Tanasorn (Wave) Junkrapor (MPP '26)

Apr 8, 2026

Tansaorn (Wave) Junkrapor (MPP ‘26) shares how working for Thailand’s Department of Local Administration taught him that effective policy comes from listening to the people it impacts, and how he’s now focused on using data to make AI work for vulner...

News

Detroiters cautious about government use of AI, U-M survey finds

Mar 24, 2026

Many Detroiters are still making up their minds about potential government use of artificial intelligence, with 41% of city residents reporting neutral views or uncertainty on whether AI's benefits to society outweigh its risks.

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News

Green shares data center concerns with Michigan lawmakers

Feb 15, 2026

The Ford School's Ben Green testified before members of Michigan's House Subcommittee on Oversight regarding the anticipated impacts data centers will have on Michiganders. Various networks have covered Green's expertise on this issue.

News

Wolfers testifies on artificial intelligence at Michigan House hearing

Feb 4, 2026

Ford School professor and economist Dr. Justin Wolfers recently testified at a hearing for the Michigan House Appropriations Committee. The hearing, titled "Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference," is the first in a series of two hearings determinin...

News

Stevenson: Society must address inevitable shift to AI-driven labor through comprehensive policy reform

Jan 30, 2026

What does the rise of artificial intelligence mean for the labor market? How should society respond to shifting demands for human workers? The Ford School's Betsey Stevenson has been publicly commenting on these critical questions.

News

Hassan joins global effort to center African perspectives in technology ethics

Jan 26, 2026

Ford School assistant professor Yousif Hassan is contributing to a growing international effort to explore how the African humanities “can inform and transform global conversations on technology and ethics."

News

Green discusses local impacts of data centers

Nov 30, 2025

Ford School professor Ben Green's research on the impacts of data centers recently caught the eye of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection, which asked him to deliver a presentation on the topic to its Citizens Advisory Council on Nov...

In the Media

Should we earn dividend's from data? - Stevenson

Oct 21, 2025 On with Kara Swisher

Ford School economist Betsey Stevenson made the case for an AI dividend on the podcast, "On with Kara Swisher." Stevenson presented her idea that would allow consumers to receive dividends for engaging with companies that use our data. She stated, “...

News

Hassan’s summer fieldwork explores politics and practice of AI development in Africa

Oct 17, 2025

Building on his long-term research on technology and decolonialization, Yousif Hassan's summer fieldwork examined the politics of AI and international development in Africa, with a focus on local agency, imagination, and innovation.

Publication

Owen-Smith presents alternative research methods for measuring AI’s economic impact

Oct 9, 2025

Policymakers do not have the data they need to fully understand AI’s impact on the U.S. economy, labor force, and industries. Jason Owen-Smith and experts from across the U.S. address this gap in a new policy report from AEI.

In the Media

Stevenson says tariffs are causing a supply shock, though stocks remain strong

Sep 5, 2025 Bloomberg

Betsey Stevenson, professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan, says tariffs have created a supply shock in the U.S., affecting back-to-school items and inputs companies source globally. She tells Katie Greifeld and Eric Bal...

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News

Kleinman gives keynote on AI regulation at Michigan civil rights forum

Aug 6, 2025

Molly Kleinman delivered the keynote address at “Local and State Government in the Age of AI: Innovation, Civil Rights, and Policy,” a forum hosted by the Michigan Council on Government and Education on July 16. The event brought together leaders fro...

molly kleinman speaking on AI regulation at Michigan civil rights forum

News

Hassan co-organizes workshop at University of Nairobi to chart Africa’s data future

Aug 6, 2025

Yousif Hassan co-organized and facilitated the “Empowering Africa Through Data Governance” workshop at the University of Nairobi this July.

News

Prestigious National Academies committee appoints Parthasarathy

Jul 25, 2025

Ford School professor Shobita Parthasarathy has been appointed to the Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication, a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) committee that was established in 2016 to advance ethical...

Publication

Growth of data centers requires new policies to mitigate local community impacts

Jul 17, 2025

The rapid growth of data centers, with their enormous energy and water demands, requires targeted policy interventions to mitigate environmental impacts and protect local communities. A new report by the University of Michigan’s Science, Technology, ...

News

Kleinman shares AI expertise with local policymakers

Jul 7, 2025

Molly Kleinman provided the Ypsilanti City Council with an overview of the common types of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in use today, how it can be useful to local governments, and common concerns about its use. She also offered to be a resource as t...

News

Podcast: U-M experts explore AI and the responsibility of its creators in building, guiding it toward best uses

May 30, 2025

Artificial intelligence is often debated in terms of being a cure-all or chaos agent, as if independent of its human creators. Neither is the case, nor should we forget who makes it and why, and how it should serve humanity. Shobita Parthasarathy dis...

News

State-level AI legislation can guide fair housing practices

May 20, 2025

As the number of artificial intelligence (AI)-related measures introduced in U.S. state and territorial legislatures continues to grow, policymakers, advocates and consumers can seize the moment to assure that the technology is promoting fair housing...

Publication

Hassan on AI, power, and decolonial possibility in Africa

Apr 29, 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an increasingly defining force, shaping global advancements and influencing crucial aspects of society. Assistant professor Yousif Hassan’s research examines the social, economic, and political implications of emerging...

Publication

Many local officials in Michigan uncertain about the use of AI or other predictive policing tools

Apr 23, 2025

The Michigan Public Policy Survey, conducted last spring by U-M’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy, found most officials are unsure about the accuracy of public safety risk assessments made by automated tools such as AI. However, sheriffs an...

Publication

U-M study highlights urgent need to train students about the ethical, social, and policy dimensions of STEM

Apr 2, 2025

Advances in fields like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and data science are rapidly shaping society and raising significant ethical and policy questions. The dizzying pace of development also highlights the need for academic programs that pr...

In the Media

Parthasarathy on AI running the government

Mar 13, 2025 Al Jazeera

Shobita Parthasarathy, Ford School professor, says "These workers have real expertise and a nuanced understanding of the issues, which AI does not. AI does not, in fact, ‘understand’ anything." So, she says, “It’s a very bad idea" to use AI to run t...

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News

DOGE Plan to Push AI Across the US Federal Government is Wildly Dangerous - Green

Mar 6, 2025

Ford School assistant professor (by courtesy) Ben Green, wrote an essay for Tech Policy on Elon Musk's new “AI-first strategy” for the federal government, and commented, "unleashing AI to revolutionize the federal government is a recipe for disaster....

News

Parthasarathy speaks at AAAS Annual meeting about Asilomar’s legacy

Feb 27, 2025

Shobita Parthasarathy spoke at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in a session titled, “Revisiting Asilomar Fifty Years Later: Who is in the room when we talk about AI?” While Asilomar is often praised for d...

News

Podcast: Hassan explores risks, responsibilities in development and implementation of AI

Feb 26, 2025

Challenges abound in the development, implementation and effects of artificial intelligence. Yet people still have the power to limit risks and even foster positive integration of AI—should they choose to shoulder that responsibility. Listen to the f...

In the Media

How government may use AI to determine spending cuts - Moynihan

Feb 18, 2025 Axios

With the emergence of AI as one of the largest technological innovations of the decade, scholars suspect AI will soon be used by the government to determine where to cut funding. "Everyone is excited about the use of AI, and over time it will undoubt...