• What new ideas, challenges, or other issues have you encountered with regard to your project (this might include data collection, information that contradicts your assumptions or the assertions of others, materials that have enriched your understanding of the topic or led you to change your project, etc.)? How have these ideas or challenges shaped the bigger picture of your research? Has the scope or focus of your topic changed since you began this project? If so, how?

My research has increasingly narrowed in scope as the weeks have gone on: initially, I intended to study AI-generated disinformation broadly in Russia, then narrowed that to LLMs specifically, then a comparative analysis to American LLMs, then began to juxtapose my own interactions with the LLMs with data provided by a study of censorship across LLMs by Ghent University in Belgium. Using this study was instrumental in overcoming a major roadblock of interacting with these LLMs, that they did not provide much information to me not only due to censorship, but due to paywalls and other limitations to accessibility. While I was able to purchase an API key for Claud an ChatGPT, YandexGPT and GigaChat did not so readily provide those, and speaking with the Ghent University researchers further reinforced how difficult it could be to obtain access without a Russian company bank account. This study has enriched my research immensely, as well as the guidance of some of the contributors to this research whom I reached out to for further resources and instruction about how LLM architecture works. These challenges in part contributed to a larger finding in my research, that Russian LLMs are simply not as technologically sound or advanced as western LLMs, being inconsistent in their access policies and responses about politically sensitive topics. Thus, my research has expanded into a broader discussion of a) the responsibility of LLMs in navigating political topics which often require taking a stance, and b) Russia's true intentions in creating LLMs (whether to simply check a box of technological innovation or to truly make useful progress).

• Where does your research take place--or where is a favorite place to conduct your research? Post a photo!

Because my research takes place remotely, I have loved exploring new cafes on my "want to try" list, which encourages me to explore new areas of the city and interact with different communities that I typically would not see while in Morningside Heights. Hungarian Pastry Shop is of course a classic spot, but I have also loved Acre in Greenpoint and Moshava Coffee in Greenwich Village, which has free watercolor hours on Fridays that I have really enjoyed for a fun creative break from research!