ABSTRACT:

How can A.I.-based methods inform social listening applications during public health crises? The COVID-19 pandemic has uprooted the mode and method of human communication and interaction. The magnitude of the pandemic has led to an ‘infodemic’ along with considerable increase in stress and anxiety across communities. At the same time, the use of social media has increased dramatically as individuals sheltered in place. In this talk, I will introduce how our group is using big data from social media sources for contributing to social good. I will discuss the application of machine learning and natural language processing techniques to obtain insights on the heterogeneity in vaccine acceptance and mental health measurement across communities in the United States and outside.