Tiziano Piccardi

Tiziano Piccardi is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University and a member of the Data Science and AI Institute. He earned his PhD in data science from EPFL, Switzerland, and was a postdoctoral scholar in Stanford’s HCI group. A long-term collaborator with Wikimedia Research, he has received fellowships from the Swiss National Science Foundation and Stanford Impact Labs.

His research sits at the intersection of social computing, artificial intelligence, and human-computer interaction, focusing on designing online platforms that serve both individuals and society. He studies social media, open knowledge projects such as Wikipedia, and user-facing AI systems, with work published in leading computer science and interdisciplinary venues. He also contributes to the community through program committees (e.g., ICWSM, CHI, CSCW) and journal reviewing (e.g., PNAS).

Piccardi’s work addresses a central challenge: while digital platforms shape how people learn, explore, and make decisions, their design and algorithms often produce outcomes misaligned with societal needs, such as limiting access to knowledge or reinforcing divisions. His research reimagines technology to prioritize knowledge sharing, information reliability, and long-term societal benefit.

Through collaboration with Wikimedia, he has modeled global Wikipedia readership, improved accessibility, and released AI models and datasets now used widely by the research community. His work on social media explores tools for experimenting with alternative designs and AI-driven ranking systems that better reflect human and societal values.