Meredith Broussard is a data journalism professor at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University. Her research focuses on the role of artificial intelligence in journalism, particularly how algorithms and automated systems shape news production and dissemination. She is the author of two influential books that critique the limits and biases of technology: Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World (2018) and More Than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech (2023).
Broussard's career spans both journalism and software development, giving her a unique perspective on the intersection of media and computing. She has worked as a features editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer and as a software developer at AT&T Bell Labs and the MIT Media Lab. Her academic work has been published in leading journals, and she is a frequent commentator on algorithmic bias and the societal impacts of technology.
Early Career and Education
Broussard began her professional journey in journalism, serving as a features editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer, where she honed her skills in storytelling and news production. Her interest in technology led her to pursue software development, and she worked at AT&T Bell Labs and the MIT Media Lab, gaining hands-on experience with computing systems. This blend of editorial and technical expertise would later define her research agenda.
She holds a PhD from New York University, where her dissertation explored the use of artificial intelligence in investigative reporting. Her academic training combined journalism with computer science, allowing her to bridge the gap between these fields.
Academic and Research Positions
Broussard is currently an associate professor at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University, where she teaches courses on data journalism and computational methods. She also serves as the research director of the NYU Alliance for Public Interest Technology, an interdisciplinary initiative that examines how technology can serve the public good. In addition, she is an advisory board member of the Center for Critical Race and Digital Studies, which focuses on the intersection of race, digital media, and social justice.
Before joining NYU, Broussard was a fellow at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. During her fellowship, she built Bailiwick, a tool designed to uncover data-driven campaign finance stories for the 2016 United States presidential election. This project exemplified her commitment to using computational methods to enhance journalistic investigation.
Books and Major Publications
Broussard's first book, Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World, was published by MIT Press in April 2018. The book critically examines the limitations of technology in solving social problems, arguing that computers are not the panacea they are often made out to be. She uses examples from education, transportation, and other domains to illustrate how algorithmic systems can fail when they are applied without understanding their underlying assumptions.
Her second book, More Than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech, was published in March 2023. This work delves into the systemic biases embedded in technology, from facial recognition to hiring algorithms, and argues that these biases are not mere glitches but reflect deeper social inequalities. The book has been widely reviewed and has contributed to ongoing discussions about diversity and ethics in the tech industry.
In addition to her books, Broussard has published numerous articles and essays in outlets such as The Atlantic, Harper's Magazine, and Slate. Her writing often addresses the intersection of technology and social practice, covering topics like self-driving cars, data journalism, and digital preservation.
Research on Artificial Intelligence in Journalism
Broussard's research has been instrumental in shaping the field of computational journalism. Her 2015 paper, "Artificial Intelligence for Investigative Reporting," published in Digital Journalism, demonstrated how expert systems can enhance journalists' ability to discover original public affairs stories. This work was among the first to systematically explore the use of machine learning and neural networks in newsrooms.
She has also co-authored a seminal article, "Artificial Intelligence and Journalism," published in Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly in 2019, which outlines the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI into journalistic practice. Her research emphasizes the need for transparency and accountability in algorithmic systems, particularly when they are used to automate news production.
Broussard's work has been cited by other scholars and practitioners, including Christopher Mims of The Wall Street Journal, who has referenced her expertise in the future of self-driving car technology. She has been profiled in Communications of the ACM, a leading publication in computer science.
Advocacy and Public Engagement
Broussard is a vocal advocate for algorithmic fairness and public interest technology. She has appeared as herself in the 2020 Netflix documentary Coded Bias, which follows researchers and advocates as they explore how algorithms encode and propagate bias. The film brought widespread attention to the issue of algorithmic discrimination, and Broussard's participation highlighted her role as a leading voice in this area.
She has been interviewed by numerous media outlets, including The Verge, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and Harvard Magazine, on topics ranging from algorithmic bias to the ethical implications of generative AI. Her ability to communicate complex technical issues to a broad audience has made her a sought-after commentator.
Selected Academic Publications
Broussard has contributed to several influential academic papers. Notable among them are:
- "Artificial intelligence for investigative reporting: Using an expert system to enhance journalists' ability to discover original public affairs stories" (2015) - This paper, published in Digital Journalism, introduced a novel approach to using AI in journalism.
- "Artificial intelligence and journalism" (2019) - Co-authored with others, this article in Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly provides a comprehensive overview of AI's impact on journalism.
- "Challenges of archiving and preserving born-digital news applications" (2017) - Co-authored with Katherine Boss, this paper in IFLA Journal addresses the difficulties of preserving digital news content.
- "Big Data in Practice: Enabling computational journalism through code-sharing and reproducible research methods" (2016) - Published in Digital Journalism, this work advocates for open research practices in computational journalism.
- "Teaching coding in journalism schools: Considerations for a secure technological infrastructure" (2015) - Presented at the Computation+ Journalism 2015 Conference, this paper discusses the challenges of teaching coding to journalism students.
Impact and Legacy
Broussard's contributions extend beyond academia into public discourse. Her books have been used in university courses and have influenced debates on technology ethics. She is a strong proponent of data augmentation and other methods to improve the fairness of AI systems, and she has called for greater diversity in the tech industry.
Her work on algorithmic bias has been particularly influential, and she has been a key figure in the movement to hold technology companies accountable for the social harms caused by their products. As of 2024, she continues to teach and research at NYU, where she mentors the next generation of data journalists.
Broussard's legacy is likely to be defined by her ability to demystify technology for journalists and the public, while also pushing for more ethical and inclusive approaches to AI development. Her insistence that computers are not infallible - and that they often misunderstand the world - serves as a critical counterpoint to the hype surrounding AI.