A.I. and Innovation - Costello

During unexpected absences of the Fortnite superstar streamer Richard Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, one of the most-followed channels on the live video streaming platform Twitch, his lesser-known competitors took the stage, research by Brad Greenwood, professor of information systems and operations management at George Mason University shows.

The rapid acceleration of digital transformation is reshaping economies and redefining how governments approach responsible, sustainable growth, and competitiveness. Across West Asia, countries pursuing ambitious economic diversification strategies under initiatives such as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 are investing billions in artificial intelligence, smart infrastructure, and advanced technologies.

The best way to resolve a consumer’s doubts about electric cars is to let them drive one for a day or two. But Ioannis Bellos and Hang Ren, professors in the information systems and operations management area at George Mason University, argue that extended test drives can sometimes do more harm than good, for both profits and the planet.

Legalized gambling can bring in significant economic rewards from tax revenue and job creation. But at what cost to society? The states that legalized online sports betting saw a 3.1 percent increase in suicide rates, according to research co-authored by Brad Greenwood, professor of information systems and operations management.

The widely used machine-learning technique known as LASSO relegates smaller market events to an ignored “inactive zone”. How can that be a good thing for ambitious asset traders? Bo Hu, assistant professor of finance, explores the logic (and illogic) behind LASSO’s popularity and power.

A real-world experiment found that when men on matching platforms were shown only the women whose profiles fit established cultural criteria, it improved outcomes for women without harming men, says Sabari Rajan Karmegam, assistant professor of information systems and operations management at Costello College of Business.

Saudi Arabia is not just "going green”—the Kingdom is rebuilding its economy around sustainability.

When a popular online video game added AI-controlled opponents that mimicked human activity, the entire ecosystem improved. Zhechao Yang, professor in the information systems and operations management area, believes this example holds general lessons for education and competition design.

In-process work by Jingyuan Yang, a professor of information systems and operations management at George Mason University, suggests that downward redistribution of high-value opportunities can increase performance outcomes as well as fairness.

Brian Ngac, assistant dean for centers and FedWriters, Inc. Corporate Partner Faculty Fellow, recently joined Kynan Carver, vice president of cybersecurity at Maximus, to speak at Federal News Network’s AI & Apps: Scaling AI for Innovation and Implementation event. Maximus is a corporate and community partner of the Costello College of Business at George Mason University.