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Kelley Cotter

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Assistant Professor of Information Sciences and Technology, Penn State

AI models can pose questions and follow up on them, but the answers they solicit may be limited in scope and depth. Andriy Onufriyenko/Moment via Getty Images

May 19, 2026

AI interviewers can’t connect with people the way human researchers can – they can produce only data, not meaning

Kelley Cotter, Penn State; Ankolika De, Penn State, and Priya C. Kumar, Penn State

Anthropic developed an AI interviewer it claims can help social scientists conduct research at scale. But AI models lack the human qualities that make qualitative research unique.

TikTok is on track to change hands, but what that means for users is up in the air. Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

January 23, 2026

TikTok’s new owner puts app’s algorithm in the spotlight – a social media expert explains how the ‘For You’ page works

Kelley Cotter, Penn State

With the change of ownership, TikTok’s algorithm – the secret sauce of its success – is going to be reset for US users. What differences users will see is unclear, but changes are coming.

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Location: University Park, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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Joined September 18, 2025