I'm Stephen Yang,
a media and AI researcher
Responsible AI。Sociotechnical Futures。 Ph.D Researcher at the University of Southern California
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Who's Stephen?
I'm Stephen Yang, a PhD researcher of responsible AI and sociotechnical futures. My research reimagines desirable futures with technologies amidst ongoing innovations, shifting policies, and social change. I work toward anticipatory foresight to guide the responsible design and development of nascent technologies like AI.

I'm a PhD student at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California, where I'm supported by the National Science Foundation's NSF GRFP Graduate Research Fellowship. I also work as an expert consultant for Partnership on AI on the topic of Inclusive AI.

Here, you can learn more about my research projects, look up my publications, or read about my reflections on my professional experiences.

I’m actively looking for new connections, potential collaborations, as well as opportunities for internships, consulting services, and speaking engagements. You can find me on X(formerly Twitter) or reach out to me at stepheny [at] usc [dot] edu. You can also book a meeting with me here.
Current research
My current research concerns the sociotechnical (re)configuration of temporalities, where I examine (1) the rhythms of automation and (2) the timescales of futures:

(1) Rhythms of Automation
By studying how people design, envision, appropriate (as well as reject) automated technologies, I foreground controversies on the role of automation, human agency, and the sociotechnical assemblage for such configuration.

(2) Timescales of Futures
Looking beyond hype cycles, how can we reimagine long-term futures with nascent technologies when these technologies are rapidly changing and marked by uncertainties?

Specifically, I have my eye on the cultural and creative industries as my sites of inquiry.  My doctoral research looks at the reconfiguration of temporalities brought forth by automated technologies for cultural creation. I explore contestations of automation and agency across time-honored and time-constrained forms of cultural production.

The goal of my research is to reimagine desirable futures with technologies amidst ongoing innovations, shifting policies, and social change. I work toward anticipatory foresight to guide the responsible design and development of nascent technologies like AI. I do so by scrutinizing contestations during early adoption, as well as by convening publics to co-envision collective futures.

My research integrates theories and methods from Sociology, Science and Technology Studies (STS), and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). I primary draw on humanistic, qualitative-interpretive, and design-futuring approaches.
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In the past...
Most recently, I was a research intern at the Social Media Collective at Microsoft Research New England, where I studied the social, economic, and organizational logic of content creation with Nancy Baym. You can read about our research here.

In May 2022, I graduated summa cum laude from Cornell University, with a B.S. in Communication and Information Science. I graduated as the Degree Marshal of the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, a Merrill Presidential Scholar, and a Rawlings Presidential Research Scholar.

Outside of academia, I have worked in journalism and advertising at organizations such as the Taipei Times and Wunderman Thompson.  
Recent Updates
    Forthcoming
    • Summer' 24 -  This summer, I will intern at the Center for Democracy & Technology, where I will conduct policy research as part of the AI Governance Lab! As I spend my summer in Washington, D.C., I will also participate in the Consortium on Media Policy Studies (COMPASS).
    • ICA' 24 -  I will be presenting two papers at annual conference of the International Communication Association (ICA) this year! One on news media's projected futures of generative AI amidst the 2023 Hollywood strikes (as part of a panel on genAI and cultural production), another one the infrastural integration of a mobile-centric, AI-infused workflow for TikTok creation. See you in Gold Coast!
    2024
    • Jan 25, 2023 -  I just presented our EAAMO'23 paper on participatory approaches to AI design (co-authored with Fernando Delgado, Michael Madaio, and Qian Yang) for Data & Society's series on participatory methods series on AI design and accountability!
    2023
    2022
    • November 4, 2022 -  I just presented my project, "“Secrecy as Self-Making: Mobile Media Tactics in Underground Electronic/Dance Music Scenes," at the 23rd annual meeting of the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) in Dublin!
    • September 23, 2022 -  I published an article that synthesizes the social, economic, and organizational logic of content creation on the Social Media Collective blog!
    • May 31, 2022 -  I started my internship at Microsoft Research New England this summer! I'm working with Nancy Baym, Mary Gray, and Tarleton Gillespie at the Social Media Collective.
    • May 28, 2022 -  I graduated summa cum laude from Cornell University as the inaugural Degree Marshal for the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science!
    Diversity and Inclusion
    I'm a queer person of color who was born and raised outside of the United States. As someone who have affiliations with elite institutions, I often sit in between marginality and privilege. To put my commitment to diversity and inclusion in practice, I actively seek ways to reduce barriers to success for those coming from marginalized backgrounds. This often translates to sharing tacit knowledge I acquired from prior experience and from my position of privilege.

    Are you a marginalized person contemplating a career in research or responsible AI? Send me an email with any questions you may have at stepheny[at] usc [dot] edu.