Matthew R. DeVerna

I'm a computational social scientist studying the societal impacts of artificial intelligence, with a focus on how people find information online to form beliefs and make decisions. My research pairs large-scale audits of AI systems, such as language models and search engines, with experiments and observational analysis of social media. This work centers on high-stakes domains like news, politics, and public health, where these systems can strengthen or erode both public understanding and public institutions. It aims to help researchers, platforms, and policymakers foster digital spaces that are more trustworthy and resilient.

I am currently a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford's Tech Impact and Policy Center (formerly the Cyber Policy Center), working with Dr. Jeffrey Hancock in the Social Media Lab. I have a PhD in Informatics from Indiana University, where I worked with Dr. Filippo Menczer at the Observatory on Social Media. Before that, I earned an MA in Psychology from New York University, where I collaborated with Dr. Josh Tucker at the Center for Social Media and Politics and was advised by Dr. John Jost.