Bio

Scholarship that connects ideas. Leadership that builds possibilities.

Alice Cheng, Ph.D., MBA, is a professor, scholar, and interdisciplinary leader working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, strategic communication, and social science. She is a Full Professor in the Department of Communication and an adjunct professor in the Poole College of Management at North Carolina State University. As founder and director of the AI for Communication Hub, she leads interdisciplinary initiatives connecting AI research, education, strategic communication, and public engagement.

Her research examines AI and strategic communication, responsible AI and AI literacy, human–AI interaction, crisis and misinformation, public trust, and organization–public relationships. She has authored or co-authored more than 200 journal articles, conference papers, and book chapters and co-edited the Wiley volume AI and Strategic Communication.

Her scholarship has achieved significant international reach. Dr. Cheng has been recognized among Stanford University’s Top 2% Most Cited Scientists and, for several consecutive years, among the Top 1% of scholars worldwide in Communication & Media Studies. She has also been identified as a top-five contributor to crisis communication research in Public Relations Review. Her work has received numerous research and professional honors, including the NC State University Faculty Scholar Award and multiple Best Paper and Top Paper awards from the International Communication Association and Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

As PI, Co-PI, and senior researcher, Dr. Cheng has contributed to more than $2.13 million in funded research and educational initiatives, with support from the National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Caterpillar Foundation, Arthur W. Page Center, North Carolina State University, and international university partners. Her recent leadership increasingly focuses on responsible AI, AI literacy and education, ethical communication, misinformation and trust, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Her work also extends to institutional leadership, global engagement, and public communication. She has delivered invited talks, keynotes, and workshops for universities and organizations across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. She was selected for the 2026 Scripps Howard Leadership Academy, further extending her work in academic and institutional leadership.

Across scholarship, education, and institutional leadership, her work is driven by a central goal: building interdisciplinary connections that help universities, organizations, and communities navigate technological change responsibly—and translating research into education, partnerships, and meaningful societal impact.

Areas of Expertise

AI & Strategic Communication · Responsible AI & AI Ethics · AI Literacy & Education · Human–AI Interaction · Crisis, Risk & Misinformation Communication · Public Trust · Public Relations & Relationship Management · Quantitative Research Methods

Research & Innovation

From Research to Real-World Impact

My funded work connects artificial intelligence, communication, education, ethics, and social impact. As PI, Co-PI, and senior researcher, I have contributed to more than $2.13 million in funded research and collaborative initiatives, building interdisciplinary partnerships and translating research into educational and real-world applications.

Selected Initiatives

Embedding AI in Society Ethically (EASE) Center
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) · $750,000 · Co-PI · 2026–2028
An interdisciplinary initiative advancing ethical and human-centered approaches to understanding AI and its role in society.

Addressing Disparities in Data-Driven Decision Making Education (ADD ME)
Caterpillar Foundation · $116,500 · PI · 2024–2028
Expanding participation and representation in business analytics and data-driven decision-making education.

Deepfakes and Misinformation in the Age of AI
DSA Seed Grant · $35,000 · PI · 2024–2025
Examining emerging challenges surrounding AI-generated content, misinformation, and public trust.

Building LLM Agents for Large Environmental Dataset Analysis
DSA Seed Grant · $30,000 · Co-PI · 2024–2025
An interdisciplinary collaboration exploring large language model agents and their applications to complex environmental data analysis.

Empowering STEM AI-Driven Strategic Communication
$24,545 · PI · 2025–2026
Connecting AI, STEM, and strategic communication to strengthen interdisciplinary education and engagement.

AI Literacy & Responsible AI Initiatives
Multiple university, foundation, and international awards · 2024–2027
A portfolio of projects advancing AI literacy, responsible AI, public trust, AI-supported learning, and ethical strategic communication.

Additional funded work addresses AI and mental health, crisis communication, organizational ethics, misinformation, global communication, quantitative research education, and inclusive AI education.

Global Engagement & Impact

Ideas Without Borders

4 Continents · Universities · International Organizations · Professional Communities · Educators · Media

My work extends beyond academic research to global collaboration, professional engagement, education, and public communication. I have been invited to share my research and expertise with universities, international organizations, professional communities, educators, and public audiences across four continents. These engagements connect my work in AI, strategic communication, crisis and misinformation, public trust, and responsible innovation with diverse international audiences, cross-cultural perspectives, and real-world challenges.

Selected Global Engagements

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna
Public communication in emergencies, misinformation, and public trust

MIT, Cambridge
Design thinking, engineering with empathy, and human-centered innovation

Peking University · Fudan University · Tsinghua University
Artificial intelligence, strategic communication, crisis communication, and emerging applications

Vienna University of Economics and Business · IULM University, Milan
Corporate communication, artificial intelligence, AI ethics, and responsible innovation

City University of Hong Kong · Hong Kong Polytechnic University · Jinan University · Nanjing University · East China Normal University · Sun Yat-sen University
Invited talks and workshops on AI, crisis communication, global communication, education, and academic innovation

My broader engagement includes work with schools, educators, community organizations, professional communities, and news media, translating emerging research into accessible conversations about how AI is changing communication and society.

Media & Public Voice

Research-Based Perspectives for Public Conversations

Dr. Cheng regularly contributes research-based perspectives to news media and public conversations on artificial intelligence, misinformation, crisis communication, public trust, social media, and strategic communication.

Featured / Interviewed by
Fortune · CNN · Voice of America · IEEE Spectrum · Spectrum News · WRAL News

Available for Expert Commentary

AI & Society · Responsible AI & AI Ethics · AI Literacy & Education · Misinformation, Deepfakes & Public Trust · AI & Crisis Communication · Chatbots & Human–AI Interaction · Social Media & Influencers · Public Relations & Strategic Communication

Media, speaking, and collaboration inquiries are welcome.

Selected Scholarship

Four Questions Driving My Research

01 — AI, Trust & Human–AI Communication

How do people understand, trust, adopt, and interact with increasingly humanlike AI?

Research on AI-powered chatbots, trust, adoption, engagement, and emerging forms of human–AI communication.

02 — Responsible AI, Ethics & AI Literacy

How can communication contribute to more responsible and human-centered AI?

Research on responsible AI adoption, ethical decision-making, public understanding, education, and AI literacy.

03 — Crisis, Misinformation & Resilience

How can organizations and publics navigate uncertainty in rapidly changing information environments?

Research on misinformation, deepfakes, crises, public trust, and communication resilience.

04 — Strategic Communication & Relationships

How can organizations build trust and meaningful relationships in technology-mediated environments?

Research on public relations, CSR, employees, consumers, social media, and organization–public relationships.

Featured Book

AI and Strategic Communication

Cheng, Y., & Verčič, D. (Eds.). (2025). AI and strategic communication. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394275434

Selected Publications

AI & Crisis Communication
Cheng, Y., Li, J.-Z., Lee, J., & Liu, X.-D. (2025). How is artificial intelligence shaping crisis communication? A systematic review and future research agenda. Journal of Risk Research, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2025.2579317

AI Ethics & Organization–Public Relationships
Li, L., Zhou, J., & Cheng, Y. (2026). Bridging AI ethics between communication and computer science: A care ethics approach to foster organization-public relationships. Journal of Information, Communication & Ethics in Society, 24(3), 416–438. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-03-2025-0069

Humanlike AI & Strategic Communication
Jiang, N., Cheng, Y., & Wang, Y. (2026). Humanlike AI for corporate social responsibility communication: How perceived anthropomorphism shapes stakeholder acceptance of chatbots. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.70494

AI-Supported Learning
Cheng, Y., Lee, J., Martin, F., & Rand, W. (2026). Students’ engagement with AI-supported learning and its association with academic interest and career intentions in business analytics education. PLOS ONE, 21(6), e0350661. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0350661

AI Chatbots & Misinformation
Cheng, Y., Wang, Y., & Lee, J. (2025). Using a chatbot to combat misinformation: Exploring gratifications, chatbot satisfaction and engagement, and relationship quality. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 41(7), 3913–3925. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2024.2344149

AI-Powered Customer Communication
Jiang, H., Cheng, Y., Yang, J., & Gao, S. (2022). AI-powered chatbot communication with customers: Dialogic interactions, satisfaction, engagement, and customer behavior. Computers in Human Behavior, 134, 107329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107329

200+ scholarly publications, conference papers, and book chapters spanning artificial intelligence, strategic communication, crisis communication, public relations, and emerging media.

Mentorship & Broader Scholarship

Beyond the selected work above, my scholarship spans corporate social responsibility, employee communication, virtual reality, health and mental health communication, social media, public relations theory, misinformation, and global crisis communication.

My work has appeared in journals including New Media & Society, American Behavioral Scientist, Social Science Computer Review, Computers in Human Behavior, Journal of Public Relations Research, International Journal of Communication, Public Relations Review, Journal of Risk Research, and Internet Research, among others.

Student collaboration is central to my scholarship and reflects my commitment to mentoring and developing the next generation of researchers.