Upol Ehsan | hiring PhD students Fall'26
@upolehsan.bsky.social
🎯 Making AI less evil= human-centered + explainable + responsible AI
💼 Harvard Berkman Klein Fellow | CS Prof. @Northeastern | Data & Society
🏢 Prev-Georgia Tech, {Google, IBM, MSFT}Research
🔬 AI, HCI, Philosophy
☕ F1, memes
🌐 upolehsan.com
💼 Harvard Berkman Klein Fellow | CS Prof. @Northeastern | Data & Society
🏢 Prev-Georgia Tech, {Google, IBM, MSFT}Research
🔬 AI, HCI, Philosophy
☕ F1, memes
🌐 upolehsan.com
Peak academic mood: ghosting Nobel Prize for solitude.
✨ The real prize was peace.
✨ The real prize was peace.
October 7, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Peak academic mood: ghosting Nobel Prize for solitude.
✨ The real prize was peace.
✨ The real prize was peace.
September 25, 2025 at 9:13 PM
'Tis that time of the year, homies. May your contributions be accepted by the grumpy R2s
#academicSky #chi2026
#academicSky #chi2026
September 10, 2025 at 3:38 PM
'Tis that time of the year, homies. May your contributions be accepted by the grumpy R2s
#academicSky #chi2026
#academicSky #chi2026
Tried something new today.
Gave quick nods to everyone wearing a respirator at the airport.
Almost everyone nodded back. A few even gestured to the respirator.
A quick "I see you homie" moment.
People understood the assignment y'all.
Gave quick nods to everyone wearing a respirator at the airport.
Almost everyone nodded back. A few even gestured to the respirator.
A quick "I see you homie" moment.
People understood the assignment y'all.
August 17, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Tried something new today.
Gave quick nods to everyone wearing a respirator at the airport.
Almost everyone nodded back. A few even gestured to the respirator.
A quick "I see you homie" moment.
People understood the assignment y'all.
Gave quick nods to everyone wearing a respirator at the airport.
Almost everyone nodded back. A few even gestured to the respirator.
A quick "I see you homie" moment.
People understood the assignment y'all.
Homies, you aren't getting it.
The math isn't wrong.
It's just GPT-5 being "PhD level"
The math isn't wrong.
It's just GPT-5 being "PhD level"
August 9, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Homies, you aren't getting it.
The math isn't wrong.
It's just GPT-5 being "PhD level"
The math isn't wrong.
It's just GPT-5 being "PhD level"
The Onion used to make jokes.
Now it does academic ethnography.
Now it does academic ethnography.
August 5, 2025 at 9:06 PM
The Onion used to make jokes.
Now it does academic ethnography.
Now it does academic ethnography.
Imagine this being your opening line. Reads like someone asked ChatGPT: “Write a DM to an expert but make it weird.” what a time to be alive.
August 2, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Imagine this being your opening line. Reads like someone asked ChatGPT: “Write a DM to an expert but make it weird.” what a time to be alive.
Lol it me
July 20, 2025 at 4:54 AM
Lol it me
Or just sheer panic
July 18, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Or just sheer panic
When you and your friends finally schedule that writing retreat...and write nothing. Just riding on vibes.
July 16, 2025 at 4:19 PM
When you and your friends finally schedule that writing retreat...and write nothing. Just riding on vibes.
tell me how you are a pro at social media without telling me you are a pro at social media.
lol what a gigachad move.
lol what a gigachad move.
July 14, 2025 at 8:24 PM
tell me how you are a pro at social media without telling me you are a pro at social media.
lol what a gigachad move.
lol what a gigachad move.
July 13, 2025 at 6:31 PM
⚖️ Whose existence counts when we say “existential risk” from AI? We love to warn about AGI wiping out humanity. But extinction for whom?
We toss around “x-risk,” but rarely ask whose existence we are protecting.
For the 1%, AGI threatens...
We toss around “x-risk,” but rarely ask whose existence we are protecting.
For the 1%, AGI threatens...
July 9, 2025 at 4:53 PM
⚖️ Whose existence counts when we say “existential risk” from AI? We love to warn about AGI wiping out humanity. But extinction for whom?
We toss around “x-risk,” but rarely ask whose existence we are protecting.
For the 1%, AGI threatens...
We toss around “x-risk,” but rarely ask whose existence we are protecting.
For the 1%, AGI threatens...
We talk about where AI is going.
Almost never about what it leaves behind.
AI Now’s 2025 report cut through the AI hype.
And it leaves little on the table, except one cut that would have made it unforgettable.
Let’s talk about it. 🧵
1/n
ainowinstitute.org/publications...
Almost never about what it leaves behind.
AI Now’s 2025 report cut through the AI hype.
And it leaves little on the table, except one cut that would have made it unforgettable.
Let’s talk about it. 🧵
1/n
ainowinstitute.org/publications...
July 1, 2025 at 8:07 PM
We talk about where AI is going.
Almost never about what it leaves behind.
AI Now’s 2025 report cut through the AI hype.
And it leaves little on the table, except one cut that would have made it unforgettable.
Let’s talk about it. 🧵
1/n
ainowinstitute.org/publications...
Almost never about what it leaves behind.
AI Now’s 2025 report cut through the AI hype.
And it leaves little on the table, except one cut that would have made it unforgettable.
Let’s talk about it. 🧵
1/n
ainowinstitute.org/publications...
Zuck offered $32B and still got rejected.
Turns out, in the AI gold rush, you can buy compute, but not conviction.
Turns out, in the AI gold rush, you can buy compute, but not conviction.
June 28, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Zuck offered $32B and still got rejected.
Turns out, in the AI gold rush, you can buy compute, but not conviction.
Turns out, in the AI gold rush, you can buy compute, but not conviction.
He had strong publications and real promise. But he had recently lost multiple post-PhD job offers due to last-minute funding cuts.
His death followed a powerful post where he spoke openly about the pressures of academia and the emotional exhaustion faced by international scholars.
2/n
His death followed a powerful post where he spoke openly about the pressures of academia and the emotional exhaustion faced by international scholars.
2/n
June 4, 2025 at 2:14 PM
He had strong publications and real promise. But he had recently lost multiple post-PhD job offers due to last-minute funding cuts.
His death followed a powerful post where he spoke openly about the pressures of academia and the emotional exhaustion faced by international scholars.
2/n
His death followed a powerful post where he spoke openly about the pressures of academia and the emotional exhaustion faced by international scholars.
2/n
Struggling to process this --- I’m heartbroken. I was supposed to meet a brilliant Bangladeshi MIT PhD candidate yesterday morning. Chatted just a few days ago. Less than an hour before our meeting, I learned he is no longer with us in this world.
1/n
#academicSky #scienceFunding
1/n
#academicSky #scienceFunding
June 4, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Struggling to process this --- I’m heartbroken. I was supposed to meet a brilliant Bangladeshi MIT PhD candidate yesterday morning. Chatted just a few days ago. Less than an hour before our meeting, I learned he is no longer with us in this world.
1/n
#academicSky #scienceFunding
1/n
#academicSky #scienceFunding
Intriguing to see this book pop up in more stores. This is at the Georgia Tech Barnes and Noble.
#longCovid #covid19 #MECFS
#longCovid #covid19 #MECFS
May 25, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Intriguing to see this book pop up in more stores. This is at the Georgia Tech Barnes and Noble.
#longCovid #covid19 #MECFS
#longCovid #covid19 #MECFS
This reminds of a paradox my work has introduced-- #AI as a Prosthesis paradox.
The very strengths AI offers also risk eroding the human expertise underlying it.
This happens in AI-assisted {coding, writing, idea generation, etc}.
White-collar workers are at high risk.
#academicSky
The very strengths AI offers also risk eroding the human expertise underlying it.
This happens in AI-assisted {coding, writing, idea generation, etc}.
White-collar workers are at high risk.
#academicSky
April 30, 2025 at 4:14 PM
This reminds of a paradox my work has introduced-- #AI as a Prosthesis paradox.
The very strengths AI offers also risk eroding the human expertise underlying it.
This happens in AI-assisted {coding, writing, idea generation, etc}.
White-collar workers are at high risk.
#academicSky
The very strengths AI offers also risk eroding the human expertise underlying it.
This happens in AI-assisted {coding, writing, idea generation, etc}.
White-collar workers are at high risk.
#academicSky
Take off at the Human-centered XAI #HCXAI workshop #CHI2025!
What a joy it was to host this main event with such amazing speakers Maryam Ashoori (IBM), @marylgray.bsky.social (Microsoft), and Jake Metcalf (@datasociety.bsky.social).
The discussion was powerful. Some reflections and takeaways:
1/n
What a joy it was to host this main event with such amazing speakers Maryam Ashoori (IBM), @marylgray.bsky.social (Microsoft), and Jake Metcalf (@datasociety.bsky.social).
The discussion was powerful. Some reflections and takeaways:
1/n
April 26, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Take off at the Human-centered XAI #HCXAI workshop #CHI2025!
What a joy it was to host this main event with such amazing speakers Maryam Ashoori (IBM), @marylgray.bsky.social (Microsoft), and Jake Metcalf (@datasociety.bsky.social).
The discussion was powerful. Some reflections and takeaways:
1/n
What a joy it was to host this main event with such amazing speakers Maryam Ashoori (IBM), @marylgray.bsky.social (Microsoft), and Jake Metcalf (@datasociety.bsky.social).
The discussion was powerful. Some reflections and takeaways:
1/n
📢 Kick-off email for the Human-centered XAI workshop at #CHI2025 has been sent to accepted participants. It has everything you need to access the workshop and has been sent to the email you used to register for CHI! Please check your spam folder just in case 😅
#HCXAI #academicSky
#HCXAI #academicSky
April 23, 2025 at 10:10 PM
📢 Kick-off email for the Human-centered XAI workshop at #CHI2025 has been sent to accepted participants. It has everything you need to access the workshop and has been sent to the email you used to register for CHI! Please check your spam folder just in case 😅
#HCXAI #academicSky
#HCXAI #academicSky
🎉 Excited for the *MAIN EVENT* at the Human-centered XAI (#HCXAI) workshop at #CHI2025!
An all-star lineup:
🌟 @marylgray.bsky.social (@microsoft.com)
🌟 Maryam Ashoori (@IBM)
🌟 Jacob Metcalf (@datasociety.bsky.social)
Care about humans in Explainable #AI?
This is the place to be!
#academicSky
1/2
An all-star lineup:
🌟 @marylgray.bsky.social (@microsoft.com)
🌟 Maryam Ashoori (@IBM)
🌟 Jacob Metcalf (@datasociety.bsky.social)
Care about humans in Explainable #AI?
This is the place to be!
#academicSky
1/2
April 23, 2025 at 1:43 PM
🎉 Excited for the *MAIN EVENT* at the Human-centered XAI (#HCXAI) workshop at #CHI2025!
An all-star lineup:
🌟 @marylgray.bsky.social (@microsoft.com)
🌟 Maryam Ashoori (@IBM)
🌟 Jacob Metcalf (@datasociety.bsky.social)
Care about humans in Explainable #AI?
This is the place to be!
#academicSky
1/2
An all-star lineup:
🌟 @marylgray.bsky.social (@microsoft.com)
🌟 Maryam Ashoori (@IBM)
🌟 Jacob Metcalf (@datasociety.bsky.social)
Care about humans in Explainable #AI?
This is the place to be!
#academicSky
1/2
📢BREAKING: You can attend the Human-centered Explainable AI (#HCXAI) workshop at #CHI2025 without an accepted paper! Please repost and help us spread the word.
💡Spots are extremely limited so fill this out ASAP: forms.gle/nyr5NeWEZaCb...
Why are we opening things up?...
#HCI #XAI #AI #academicSky
💡Spots are extremely limited so fill this out ASAP: forms.gle/nyr5NeWEZaCb...
Why are we opening things up?...
#HCI #XAI #AI #academicSky
April 15, 2025 at 5:50 PM
📢BREAKING: You can attend the Human-centered Explainable AI (#HCXAI) workshop at #CHI2025 without an accepted paper! Please repost and help us spread the word.
💡Spots are extremely limited so fill this out ASAP: forms.gle/nyr5NeWEZaCb...
Why are we opening things up?...
#HCI #XAI #AI #academicSky
💡Spots are extremely limited so fill this out ASAP: forms.gle/nyr5NeWEZaCb...
Why are we opening things up?...
#HCI #XAI #AI #academicSky
Eid Mubarak! May this Eid bring joy and peace in your lives 🎉
Eid in the diaspora is a blend of joy and longing. Grateful to have found meaning in the new while holding on to the old.
Eid in the diaspora is a blend of joy and longing. Grateful to have found meaning in the new while holding on to the old.
March 31, 2025 at 3:55 AM
Eid Mubarak! May this Eid bring joy and peace in your lives 🎉
Eid in the diaspora is a blend of joy and longing. Grateful to have found meaning in the new while holding on to the old.
Eid in the diaspora is a blend of joy and longing. Grateful to have found meaning in the new while holding on to the old.
🔄 Opportunity: “How can we establish continuous feedback loops between AI and human for reinforcement learning to improve the system?”
🚀 Intervention: Be proactive in anticipating failures and establish processes for feedback. Enter Seamful (X)AI.
9/n
🚀 Intervention: Be proactive in anticipating failures and establish processes for feedback. Enter Seamful (X)AI.
9/n
March 24, 2025 at 11:07 PM
🔄 Opportunity: “How can we establish continuous feedback loops between AI and human for reinforcement learning to improve the system?”
🚀 Intervention: Be proactive in anticipating failures and establish processes for feedback. Enter Seamful (X)AI.
9/n
🚀 Intervention: Be proactive in anticipating failures and establish processes for feedback. Enter Seamful (X)AI.
9/n