SBU Launches AI Innovation Institute for Advancing AI Research

Published Date::23/09/2024

Stony Brook University has launched the AI Innovation Institute to advance artificial intelligence research on campus, providing students with opportunities for innovative research, internships, and more.

Stony Brook University has launched its newest project aimed at advancing artificial intelligence (AI) research on campus  the AI Innovation Institute (AI3). The institute is devoted to advancing and studying AI, along with improving access to technological resources for faculty and students.

  According to Carl Lejuez, Executive Vice President and Provost of Stony Brook, AI3 will benefit students by involving them in the latest developments in AI. Lejuez said that AI3 is designed to cover a broad spectrum of AI studies, spanning from computer science to the application and ethics of AI as analyzed by philosophers.

  Last spring, Lejuez led a group of 40 faculty members across all academic disciplines to brainstorm ways to expand and enhance the University’s AI research efforts, resulting in the creation of AI3. Lejuez stressed the importance of collaboration between faculty, administration, and students to enrich innovation.

  Steven Skiena, a distinguished teaching professor in the Department of Computer Science, is the current interim director of AI3. Skiena said one of the main goals of AI3 is to improve the research and educational use of AI in Stony Brook. “There are questions of what we should be teaching in a world where these kinds of models are readily available,” he said.

  Stony Brook created a search committee for a permanent director, co-chaired by Skiena and Robert Harrison, a professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics. The committee is composed of other University staff and faculty members. “We want to get a world leader in AI,” Skiena said. “There is a challenge to hire people these days because AI is in such demand and every university is trying to grow in this area.”

  Lejuez credits former Stony Brook President Maurie McInnis with securing the Presidential Innovation and Excellence fund that will be used for AI3. However, despite this, Lejuez explained that funding is currently an obstacle for AI3’s expansion, with only $10 million set aside for AI3. He also noted that AI3 is currently facing limitations that hinder its ability to compete in the rapidly evolving AI field, specifically insufficient computational power to do advanced AI research.

 However, Lejuez is hopeful that the Empire AI initiative, created by Governor Kathy Hochul, could provide a solution. This project aims to establish a network of AI computing centers through collaboration among public and private universities across New York. Accessing the resources from Empire AI could significantly enhance the University’s research capabilities, enabling it to attract top talent and improve its competitiveness in the AI sector.

 To Skiena, AI3 represents a way for Stony Brook to capitalize on a growing technology that will likely become more and more integrated into people’s lives as time goes on. “AI is a phenomenon that is going to shape a lot of the world that you’re going to be living in,” he said.

    Information 

The AI Innovation Institute is housed in the new Computer Science Building at Stony Brook University. Stony Brook University is a public research university located in Stony Brook, New York. The university is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system.

FAQS:

Q: What is the AI Innovation Institute?

A: The AI Innovation Institute is a research institute at Stony Brook University dedicated to advancing and studying artificial intelligence.

Q: What is the main goal of AI3?

A: The main goal of AI3 is to improve the research and educational use of AI in Stony Brook.

Q: Who is the current interim director of AI3?

A: Steven Skiena, a distinguished teaching professor in the Department of Computer Science, is the current interim director of AI3.

Q: What is the Empire AI initiative?

A: The Empire AI initiative is a project created by Governor Kathy Hochul to establish a network of AI computing centers through collaboration among public and private universities across New York.

Q: What is the significance of AI3 to Stony Brook University?

A: AI3 represents a way for Stony Brook to capitalize on a growing technology that will likely become more and more integrated into people’s lives as time goes on.

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