Prof. Nitin Agarwal Delivered Featured Faculty Talk for the UA Little Rock Board of Visitors
Prof. Nitin Agarwal, Director of COSMOS, presented a featured talk at the UA Little Rock Board of Visitors meeting titled “Fighting Fire with Fire: Mitigating AI-enhanced Cognitive Threats.” He outlined COSMOS’s research initiatives, highlighting progress in countering AI-driven information warfare, detecting manipulation, and strengthening digital resilience. The discussion emphasized partnerships with federal, academic, and industry collaborators, as well as experiential learning opportunities for UA Little Rock students in data science and cognitive security. His talk reinforced COSMOS’s role as a leader in addressing online manipulation and advancing societal impact.
Prof. Nitin Agarwal Delivered Keynote on Mitigating AI-enhanced Cognitive Threats at the 2025 IARIA Annual Congress..
At the 2025 IARIA Annual Congress in Venice, Prof. Nitin Agarwal delivered a keynote addressing AI-driven cognitive threats and the critical need for AI-enabled defenses. He introduced a socio-computational framework capable of detecting and analyzing manipulation in real time through advanced content analysis, network mapping, and predictive modeling. This framework supports proactive strategies, such as narrative countering, to enhance cognitive resilience. Framed as “fighting fire with fire,” the keynote emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and ethical governance in protecting digital trust and discourse.
Research Spotlight: Metadata to Meaning: GPT-4 Uncovers Hidden Bias Trends in YouTube Content
Led by Prof. Nitin Agarwal, COSMOS researchers received the Best Paper Award at AIMEDIA 2025 in Venice for groundbreaking work leveraging GPT-4 to analyze YouTube content beyond superficial metadata. Employing a multi-layered approach across titles, descriptions, transcripts, and summaries, the study revealed notable tonal shifts—anger and toxicity peaked in titles but decreased in deeper content, while positivity grew. This research underscores AI’s capability to enable holistic, transparent assessments of digital media, advancing narrative-based evaluation and fostering greater algorithmic accountability.
Hot off the press: Analyzing the Impact of Symbols in Taiwan’s Anti-Disinformation Campaign on TikTok
A recent COSMOS study, published in Springer’s Social Network Analysis and Mining, investigates the role of social, cultural, and political (SCP) symbols in shaping engagement, emotional response, and trust within TikTok’s anti-disinformation campaign. The study reveals that content enriched with cultural symbols fosters deeper emotional connections, higher interaction, and stronger credibility. Notably, a balanced integration of SCP symbols—particularly cultural and institutional imagery—proved most effective. These findings highlight the strategic importance of symbolism in strengthening digital narratives and advancing impactful, trustworthy short-form communication.
New Hire: Nittesh Kumar, Data Engineer
COSMOS is pleased to welcome Nittesh Kumar as a full-time Data Engineer II. Bringing a foundation in software engineering and hands-on experience through data science and analytics internships, he has worked on developing trading models, automating ETL pipelines, and designing executive dashboards. Inspired by COSMOS’s research-driven mission, Nittesh is eager to expand his expertise in AI/ML, with a focus on NLP and predictive modeling. He appreciates the center’s collaborative culture and seamless onboarding and encourages new team members to be proactive and communicative.
Cosmographer Corner: Karen Watts DiCicco
In this edition of Cosmographer Corner, we recognize Karen Watts DiCicco, a UA Little Rock alumna and former COSMOS researcher, who now serves as Chief Information Security Officer and Director of Business Enablement and Enterprise Applications at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Karen attributes her academic and professional advancement—from software usability and social media research to IT leadership—to the guidance of COSMOS and Prof. Agarwal. She highlights persistence, passion, and collaboration, affirming COSMOS as a foundation for impactful research, innovation, and professional growth.