Samuel Woolley

Samuel Woolley is an Associate Professor and the inaugural William S. Dietrich II Endowed Chair in Disinformation Studies at the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Communication. His research focuses on computational propaganda, AI-driven manipulation of public opinion, and the societal impacts of emergent technologies. He has founded and directed major research initiatives including the Digital Intelligence Lab at the Institute for the Future and the Propaganda Research Lab at the University of Texas at Austin.

Woolley holds a PhD from the University of Washington. His work bridges academic research with policy advocacy, appearing in outlets like Foreign Affairs, New York Times, and before U.S. Congress and international bodies. He has authored four influential books on digital propaganda and advised organizations including the United Nations and NATO.

His research interests include automated systems in political communication, social bot networks, and the ethical challenges of AI. Funded by grants from Omidyar Network, NSF, Knight Foundation, and others, his work addresses how technology shapes truth, trust, and democracy in the digital age.

Woolley has held affiliations with Stanford University's Project for Democracy and the Internet, the Oxford Internet Institute, and the German Marshall Fund. He leads cross-disciplinary teams studying disinformation ecosystems and advises tech companies on platform governance strategies.