The academic department will focus on research, teaching and community outreach examining AI and its societal impact.
The Department of AI and Society will use $5 million in funding from New York State to purchase high-performance computing and hire faculty members, adding to the University at Buffalo’s more than 200 faculty members researching AI.
The new department, an interdisciplinary hub based in UB’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences, will offer interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate degrees, incorporating AI across academic disciplines like geography, health, public policy and more.
UB is developing the next generation of leaders who will use AI responsibly to enhance society. The knowledge and skills they gain from the Department of AI and Society will allow them to drive social, economic and biomedical advancements that improve lives around the world.
Atri Rudra, the Katherine Johnson Chair in Artificial Intelligence and professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, will serve as inaugural department chair.