UCF in the News

Last week, BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti called out social media platforms TikTok and Facebook parent Meta in an open letter to their respective CEOs, Zhang Yiming and Mark Zuckerberg, writing that they no longer "care very much about content" and instead have become "much more interested in technology and AI." Though Peretti may have tried to blame the social media companies' increased focus on AI as being the problem, the real issue may simply be how on how the technology is being used. AI has the potential to improve social media, but that would require some key changes to be made. The social media platforms would have to fundamentally rethink how they're using AI, said Dr. Mel Stanfill, associate professor in the Texts and Technology Program and the Department of English at the University of Central Florida. "The recommendation algorithm would have to not just optimize for attention but also things like posts that result in productive, respectful conversation," noted Stanfill. "That's a thing that could be figured out and implemented, but it's contrary to the platforms' interests in attention above all else," added Stanfill. "Similarly, for moderation, it's a bit of a game of whack-a-mole whereas the tactics of platforms change to try to decrease harmful use, so do the tactics of people trying to be terrible to each other, but it's totally possible to use human judgment to understand those issues and change how content moderation algorithms respond based upon that understanding."

Two local colleges are ramping up hiring, including one with the help of a pair of large health care systems. The University of Central Florida and Seminole State College of Florida both are adding jobs to train students in high-demand fields. For UCF, that comes for its College of Engineering and Computer Science, while Seminole State will hire for its nursing school. The Orlando-based university will hire 36 engineering and computer science faculty members this year, including for areas like aerospace, energy, AI and more. The move comes as its College of Engineering and Computer Science has grown to 15,000 students, with a goal to reach 20,000. UCF already hired 28 more faculty last academic year. “The rapid growth of technological expertise needed by industry and government means engineers and computer scientists are more essential than ever,” College of Engineering and Computer Science Dean Michael Georgiopoulos said in a prepared statement. UCF plans to seek up to $75 million from the Florida Legislature in recurring funds to expand its efforts to grow its college of Engineering and Computer Science.

In 2021, the TSA launched their new touchless identity solution in one Detroit airport. Now it’s available in nine airports across the U.S. Instead of waiting in long lines for a person to manually verify you match your ID, you get your photo taken and facial recognition software sends you on your way. That’s just one example of using biometric data for security, but is it safe? And where else will be seeing it used? Biometric data is using your face, fingerprint, handprint, or your voice to log in or go through security. But how does it work? “If you’re using touch id or face id on your phone, this is creating a biometric imprint of yourself on your phone that stays on your phone,” said Kevin Moran, PhD, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Cyber Security and Privacy Cluster, University of Central Florida.

After the financial crisis of 2008, the value of the Icelandic krona tanked, along with the Iceland Stock Exchange. Thousands lost their homes and unemployment skyrocketed. Two years later, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano disrupted air travel to Europe and caused more problems for the already struggling country — but it also drew international awareness to Iceland. "Tourism's a quick win for many of these places," said Alan Fyall, the Visit Orlando endowed chair of tourism marketing at the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management who studies sustainable tourism, said of countries with struggling economies. "Tourism can be a very, very powerful economic and social force for good. There's no question. However, it's like everything — it's how you do it," he said.

Last week, BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti called out social media platforms TikTok and Facebook parent Meta in an open letter to their respective CEOs, Zhang Yiming and Mark Zuckerberg, writing that they no longer "care very much about content" and instead have become "much more interested in technology and AI." Though Peretti may have tried to blame the social media companies' increased focus on AI as being the problem, the real issue may simply be how on how the technology is being used. AI has the potential to improve social media, but that would require some key changes to be made. The social media platforms would have to fundamentally rethink how they're using AI, said Dr. Mel Stanfill, associate professor in the Texts and Technology Program and the Department of English at the University of Central Florida. "The recommendation algorithm would have to not just optimize for attention but also things like posts that result in productive, respectful conversation," noted Stanfill. "That's a thing that could be figured out and implemented, but it's contrary to the platforms' interests in attention above all else," added Stanfill. "Similarly, for moderation, it's a bit of a game of whack-a-mole whereas the tactics of platforms change to try to decrease harmful use, so do the tactics of people trying to be terrible to each other, but it's totally possible to use human judgment to understand those issues and change how content moderation algorithms respond based upon that understanding."

Using satellite trackers, scientists have discovered the whereabouts of young sea turtles during a key part of their lives. “We’ve had massive data gaps about the early baby to toddler life stages of sea turtles,” said Kate Mansfield, a marine scientist at the University of Central Florida. “This part of their long lives has been largely a mystery.” For decades, scientists have wondered about what happens during the so-called lost years between when tiny hatchlings leave the beach and when they return to coastlines nearly grown — a span of about one to 10 years. New research published Tuesday begins to fill in...

You have probably already heard that February is the month to focus on heart health, which means eating right, exercising and paying attention to the signs of heart attack, stroke and more. As a urologist, I see a different side of heart health every day: Many of my patients need “cardiac clearance” before urological surgery. Yet most patients have no idea what this process involves — or how crucial it can be for surgical outcomes. Contrary to popular belief, cardiac clearance isn’t just a stamp from your heart doctor saying, “Sure, go ahead with surgery.” It’s an important assessment that can reveal hidden heart issues, reduce surgical risk and sometimes even save a life. Here’s a closer look at what really happens — and why you should pay attention to your heart this month and every month.

A lot has changed since the last time Scott Frost opened a season as coach at UCF. In the eight seasons since his departure at the end of 2017, the Knights have won 56 games, played in multiple conference championship games, undergone two head coaching changes, seen the rise of the transfer portal and welcomed the name, image and likeness era. More importantly, the program is now a member of a Power Four conference, and Frost 2.0 will get its first taste as UCF enters its third season in the Big 12.