UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.—The Penn State Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication is seeking research proposals that address the urgent need for practical guidelines and ethical standards for the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in communications. The call is part of the center’s Page/Johnson Legacy Scholar Grant program, which annually supports scholars and professionals whose research contributes to the academic literature and creates professional understanding of important issues.
This call invites academic proposals that explore the intersection of generative AI, public communication, and ethics. Proposals that use diverse methodological approaches are encouraged. Funding preference will be given to proposals that address one or more of the Page Principles. Heather Shoenberger, associate professor of advertising/public relations, and Fuyuan Shen, professor of advertising, are leading the call. The Page Center is located in Bellisario College.
“AI is rapidly changing the way we communicate and offers enormous potential for innovation and efficiency,” Shen said. “This transformative power comes with significant ethical challenges, including privacy, security, algorithmic bias and the misuse of AI for disinformation.”
Shen and Shoenberger said they hope this call will encourage scholars to explore these issues from innovative perspectives to understand how AI can help ensure ethical and effective public communication. A book of selected projects from the call will serve as the first collection of generative AI research among communication scholars.
“We are very excited about this call for proposals because it provides an opportunity for researchers to explore what generative AI could mean for public communication,” said Shoenberger. “We hope to receive a broad range of solid proposals addressing a variety of questions related to generative AI and public communication.”
Since 2004, the Page Center has funded hundreds of projects on many topics in the field. While research topics vary from year to year, the Center continually supports academic research into the principles of public communication.
“So much has been written about AI and how it can and should be used,” said Denise Bortree, who directs the Page Center. “It’s up to scientists to provide the evidence that will help us adapt to the new technology and apply it to our work in smart and ethical ways.”
A full description of the call for proposals and the proposal process can be found on the Page Center website. All application materials must be submitted by January 15.
