Ruben R. Salas is a third-year PhD student in the Operations, Information and Decisions department at The Wharton School. His research examines human-AI collaboration, focusing on how artificial intelligence transforms creativity, learning, and the nature of human-machine cooperation. His work reveals how AI tools democratize creative capabilities while potentially narrowing the diversity of ideas. Recently, his research has expanded to explore AI-to-AI interactions and the emerging digital landscapes where human participation increasingly fades.
Ruben was drawn to SNF Paideia because he recognizes that the questions raised by AI cannot be answered through technical research alone. As dialogue, trust, and shared meaning increasingly become mediated by algorithms, understanding what we might lose is as crucial as measuring what we gain from technological progress. His perspective brings rigorous technical analysis with humanistic inquiry and aims to facilitate critical conversations about technology’s role in civic life.
Through the Paideia Fellowship, Ruben aims to help the Penn community navigate a fundamental challenge: how to preserve the interpersonal foundations of collaboration and dialogue as we move into an AI-mediated future.