AI Town Hall Details New Innovation Institute, Looks to the Future

Stony Brook University recently announced the launch of its new AI Innovation Institute (AI3), expanding the Institute for AI-Driven Discovery and Innovation established in 2018 from a department-level institute within the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences to a university-wide endeavor.

AI3 Interim Director Steve Skiena, a distinguished professor in the Department of Computer Science, led a virtual Town Hall on September 11 to discuss Stony Brook's AI initiative in more detail.

Skiena began by noting the impact that AI is not limited only to high-tech disciplines, but is pervasive technology that affects everybody.

"Besides the people who work in core and foundational areas of AI, there's also a world where these tools are revolutionary, changing the way people do business in alldisciplines," said Skiena. "The vision for the AI Innovation Institute is to serve both sides."

Highlighting the growing prominence of AI, driven by groundbreaking tools such as ChatGPT and other generative AI technologies, Skiena said AI is now integrated into every facet of our lives, from healthcare to education, and continues to expand. He emphasized Stony Brook's unique position to lead in AI innovation, thanks to its world-class faculty and research centers that are already renowned nationally and internationally for their contributions to AI.

Central to the Town Hall discussion was the announcement of the university's ambitious plan to establish and develop AI3. "The goal of AI3 is to promote AI, stimulate research, attract funding, and to make Stony Brook a more attractive place for AI-oriented students and faculty," said Skiena.

Now reporting directly to the Office of the Provost, AI3 is designed to accelerate, coordinate, and enhance AI innovation and education across the entire Stony Brook campus, across departments and disciplines.

Skiena said AI3 will focus on three core pillars.

"There is a research component, an education component, and a services component," he said. "Research is the biggest of these three pillars." Skiena stressed that the institute will not be an academic department.

AI3 Interim Director Steve Skiena

One of the key announcements from the Town Hall was the launch of the AI Seed Grant program. The initiative will provide financial support to interdisciplinary AI projects across three distinct tracks: Collaboratory Research in AI, Technical Support for Discipline-Centric Research, and Seed Grants for AI Education and Service. The grants aim to inspire collaborations between computational AI experts and faculty from non-technical fields, to focus on solving complex problems across all areas of study.

"The AI Seed Grant program is expected to fund at least six projects in its first year, with a focus on initiatives that could lead to larger funding opportunities," said Skiena.

Stony Brook's participation in New York State's Empire AI program was another key point of discussion. As part of this initiative, the university will contribute to the state's broader efforts to establish itself as a leader in AI research and application, alongside programs such as SUNY STRIVE for AI and the SUNY IBM Alliance.

Skiena also discussed the construction of a NeuroAI building, part of a reimagined engineering complex. With a scheduled completion date of 2027, the building will house computer labs, with offices for faculty, staff, graduate students, and post-doctoral students.

As interim director, Skiena has already begun laying the foundation for AI3's future success, hiring support staff and preparing the institute for its next phase under a permanent director. A national search for this inaugural director is currently underway, with a committee co-chaired by Skiena and Robert Harrison, professor of Applied Mathematics and Statistics and director of the Institute for Advanced Computational Science.

With the establishment of AI3, the launch of the AI Seed Grant program, and Stony Brook's active role in statewide AI initiatives, the university dares to lead the way for the future of AI.

"AI is going to have an impact on how we teach, and whatwe teach, and it's important to advance the efforts here," said Skiena. "AI is providing new opportunities to do some of the things we do at the university better."

- Beth Squire & Robert Emproto

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