Kai M. Hung

I am a PhD student at the MIT Institute of Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS), advised by Prof. Munther Dahleh. I also work closely with Prof. Bailey Flanigan. My research interests lie at the intersection of statistics, computer science, and economics. I am supported by the NSF GRFP, and an affiliate of LIDS.

Currently, I think a lot about guardrails of machine learning systems. In particular, I study how they shape the information environment for civic engagement, e.g. recommender systems on social media and decision assistants in deliberations.

Previously, I completed my B.A. in Computer Science at Rice University. As an undergrad, I worked on machine learning, optimal transport, and behavioral modeling. In particular, I worked with Dr. César Uribe and Dr. Lydia Beaudrot on optimal transport methods for ecological modeling in Sub-Saharan Africa. I was also hosted by Dr. Esteban Tabak at NYU Courant and Dr. Alison Gopnik at Berkeley AI Research.

Outside of research, I practice Taekwondo, hike, read, and cook!

Acknowledgements: I am a lousy web developer and an even worse photographer. I owe much gratitude to Shreyas Minocha for helping me out with random kinks on this website. Shoutout to Siba Panigrahi for my sharp photo from the Eiffel tower! Much of the site aesthetics are inspired by Alex Hayes and al-folio.

Last updated: May 2026.

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