Daniella DiPaola

phd student, researcher, educator

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My research explores how young people interact with AI, how we can design curricula to support responsible AI use and creation, and how educational policy can guide the integration of AI into schools.

I have created hands-on learning experiences that introduce K–12 students to the responsible use of AI. These programs have reached thousands of learners worldwide through initiatives like Day of AI, Project STEM, Edward M. Kennedy Institute, and Everyday AI. Most recently, I designed Student Voices in AI, a youth council model that gives students a formal role in shaping AI use in their schools.

I am currently a PhD Candidate at the MIT Media Lab advised by Professor Cynthia Breazeal. I have a Bachelor’s in Human Factors Engineering from Tufts University and a Master’s in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT. Prior to my graduate work, I worked as a design researcher at Jibo, Inc., which was recognized as Time Magazine’s Invention of the Year in 2017.

selected publications

  1. AI Literacy
    Integrating ethics and career futures with technical learning to promote AI literacy for middle school students: An exploratory study
    Helen Zhang, Irene Lee, Safinah Ali, Daniella DiPaola, Yihong Cheng, and Cynthia Breazeal
    International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 2023
  2. Ethics and Policy
    Socio-digital vulnerability
    Daniella DiPaola and Ryan Calo
    Available at SSRN 4686874, 2024
  3. AI Literacy
    AI literacy as civic literacy: A case study of the “AI and human rights” curriculum for middle school students
    Daniella DiPaola, Marc Aidinoff, Angela Marzilli, Ethan Berman, Michael Champigny, Nate Gundy, Sarah Yezzi, and Cynthia Breazeal
    First Monday, 2024