The CODE Lab

The CODE Lab (Computational Observation of Digital Exposure) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studies what information people encounter in digital environments and how that exposure shapes attitudes and behavior. As online information environments are increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, from AI-generated content to algorithmically curated feeds, understanding what people actually see and its consequences requires new observational infrastructure and computational methods.

The lab uses large-scale behavioral data, including web browsing records and private messaging data, to observe real-world exposure. The lab also develops research infrastructure and computational tools for studying digital information environments at scale, and supports graduate training in computational methods for communication research.