#AcademicRunPlaylist - 2/7/25

I had a number of unique meetings today, but I was still able to get out for a bit and listen to some talks for my #AcademicRunPlaylist!

First was a great panel on models for AI governance at the state level with Ellen P. Goodman (👋), Brianna Titone, Adam Burrows, Harry Surden, and Richard Whitt at Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. Ellen's opening talk surveying current state regulatory approaches was particularly noteworthy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo_kl2tnWcw

Next was an excellent talk by Yossi Gandelsman on techniques for interpreting and improving the inner workings of vision language models at the GRASP Lab https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgE7KOn1xHo

Next was a fantastic panel on the application of state laws regarding the right of publicity to AI with Zahra Takhshid, Annemarie Bridy, Mike Conover (👋), and Margot Kaminski at Silicon Flatirons. The idea of using the right of publicity as a wedge to drive more substantive AI regulation is compelling, and the examples and framework presented here seem promising. Highly recommend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZCWiftbEQw

Next was a short talk by Rochelle Tractenberg on how statisticians can safeguard privacy and promote trust with the diffusion of LLMs at the College of Information (INFO), University of Maryland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyLoGYYfLNM

Next was an informative talk by Gregory Brown on the latest employment report and the state of the US economy at the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. As one might expect given the current chaos in the administration, questions come up in the Q&A that are both bonkers and unfortunately necessary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPiFDCMKooo

Next was a short talk by Ivan Habernal on the technical and systemic challenges with privacy around LLMs at UMD INFO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxA1zk9DkoE

Last was an amazing talk by Jennifer Burns on the institutions, ideas, and people involved in the creation of the law and economics approach (and neoliberalism more broadly) at the University of Chicago at the Stanford Law School. Highly recommend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYmObihkP_g