What’s happening:
At Harvard and MIT, Nieman Fellows from all over the world are learning about algorithms from each other and those vast university resources. Uli Köppen is a Nieman Fellow in Cambridge, Massachusetts who is studying algorithmic accountability, machine bias and automation in journalism.
Uli Köppen is using the fellowship to gain a better understanding of how algorithms form the journalism of the future (stories and products) and to learn more about the U.S. way of dealing with tech innovation. She is part of a working group dedicated to Artificial Intelligence together with hackers, computer scientists, open data activists and lawyers discussing recent developments in AI and the implications for society.
Digging Deeper:
- Boston and Cambridge are great places for this kind of learning journey because you meet people with the same interests on and off campus. Köppen calls it a “melting pot for people curious about digital innovation, future business models and algorithmic responsibility.”
- People with completely different backgrounds and disciplines tackle the same problems at Harvard and MIT.
- The MIT Media Lab and Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society have been core to these interdisciplinary encounters.
- At Harvard Kennedy School, Köppen is looking into statistics and machine learning from a practical point of view.
- At MIT Business School she is learning about product readiness and business models of innovative products.
What’s Next:
The Niemen program is keeping Uli Köppen busy with workshops about recent developments and leadership in journalism, business models and underreported issues. She plans to share what strikes her most on this journey at her Medium channel.
