Population Research Discovery Seminars
The Future of “Trust & Safety”: Examining the Shift to AI in Online Safety Efforts
Rachel E. Moran, Senior Research Scientist at the Center for an Informed Public & Affiliate Assistant Professor at the Information School, University of Washington
Parrington Hall Room 360
To Join By Zoom: Register HERE
11/13/2026
12:30-1:30 PM PT
360 Parrington Hall
Co-Sponsor(s):
Despite their importance, Trust and Safety (T&S) teams experienced significant downsizing between 2022 and 2025, including mass layoffs at major technology companies. Our prior research documented this contraction and identified a parallel expansion in the development and deployment of AI-enabled T&S tools designed to detect, manage, and reduce the spread of harmful and illegal content online. This project examines the shift toward AI through in-depth interviews with T&S professionals who build and use AI systems for online safety. We document the range of AI-enabled tools currently in use and assess professional attitudes toward their effectiveness. We also analyze expert perspectives on AI’s potential to address persistent industry challenges, including cost pressures, politicization of human-led moderation, and the psychological toll of T&S work. Finally, we identify key concerns surrounding the integration of AI into online safety practices.
Rachel E. Moran Ph.D (she/her) is a Senior Research Scientist at the Center for an Informed Public and an Affiliate Assistant Professor at the University of Washington’s Information School. Her research explores the role of trust in digital information environments and is particularly concerned with how trust is implicated in the spread of mis- and dis-information. Moran received her doctoral degree in 2020 from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California. Moran also holds a BA and an MA in Social and Political Science from Cambridge University and an MA in Political Communications from Goldsmiths College, University of London.