Fred Morstatter’s research at USC’s Information Sciences Institute explores one of AI’s most complex frontiers: human culture. From forecasting insurgencies in Mozambique to detecting online echo chambers before they form, Morstatter is building intelligent systems that understand what people value, how they express emotion, and why they make the choices they do.

By analyzing real-world data, from Telegram posts to prediction markets, he’s designing tools that help policymakers, researchers, and communities anticipate future events and avoid costly mistakes. His work bridges cultural insight and algorithmic design, ensuring AI systems account for context, values, and the diverse realities they seek to model.