Yi Zhao is a PhD student in the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers–New Brunswick. Her research focuses on understanding and addressing conflict arising from group dynamics and intergroup relations, with particular attention to identity, norms, and political polarization. Zhao employs a range of methodological approaches, including surveys, network analysis, and computational methods, to examine how digital media and technological innovation shape the dynamics of identity and group behavior, and how these processes in turn influence communication and information environments.

Mehedi Zaman is a PhD student in Library & Information Science at the School of Communication & Information (SC&I), Rutgers–New Brunswick. His research is situated at the intersection of Human-AI Interaction and Computational Social Science, with a focus on the privacy implications of Generative AI. Previously, Mehedi worked as a research intern at the AI Institute of University of South Carolina (AIISC), where he developed methods for hallucination detection and mitigation in Large Language Models (LLMs). He holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering from the Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Bangladesh.

Moral Bridging at Scale: AI-Personalized Persuasion and Democratic Outcomes

Political polarization is tearing Americans apart, making it harder for Democrats and Republicans to listen to each other or find common ground. This project explores whether AI can help bridge that divide by crafting personalized messages that speak to what each person actually values not just their party label. People across the political spectrum hold different moral priorities. AI can detect these differences and reframe political issues in ways that resonate across party lines. By testing whether these tailored messages make people more open to opposing viewpoints, this research examines how AI could be harnessed as a tool for strengthening democratic dialogue and reducing partisan hostility in American politics.

Yi Zhao and S. M. Mehedi Zaman were selected for the Democracy Catalyst Fellowship.