What Can Be: Using Big Data to Fight Extremism

Professor Tamar Mitts is collaborating across disciplines to harness big data for a safer world. Using machine learning and artificial intelligence, she and colleagues at Columbia University’s Data Science Institute analyze the social media activity of the Islamic State. Her findings help policymakers identify critical trends in extremist activity and devise strategies to counter it.

What Can Be is SIPA’s $150-million campaign that will fund areas essential to our future. It will increase financial aid for our students, support the high-impact research of our academic community, ensure new hiring in critical fields, and create new programs. Our success will also support key University priorities in climate response, data and society, global solutions, and just societies.