UB's Expertise in Artificial Intelligence

The University at Buffalo is a leader in pursuing artificial intelligence for social good. From research and application to educational programs, UB continues to make strategic investments in people, programs and facilities to enhance the university’s national leadership in AI — including courses that highlight intersectionality between AI and education — to prepare the next generation of students for success. As a flagship university of New York State, UB is home to Empire AI, a $400 million statewide consortium and supercomputing center to be located on the North Campus that aims to make the state a national leader in AI research and innovation.

During a press conference in the Center for the Arts atrium, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced UB as the home for the Empire AI consortium, in January 2024. The university will be the site of her proposed statewide AI consortium, Empire AI, which will include construction of a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence computing center. Photographer: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki.

Empire AI

USHERING IN A NEW ERA OF AI

UB will be the home base of Empire AI, a $400 million statewide consortium where public and private research institutions can convene and leverage artificial intelligence to address societal challenges. Empire AI will accelerate critical research and innovation and serve as a reliable, trustworthy source of information as technologies continue to evolve.

Artificial Intelligence in Action - Research and Innovation Spotlight

Preparing to cut the ribbon to open the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education are (from left) Sahana Rangasrinivasan, a computer science and engineering PhD candidate; NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan; U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer; President Satish K. Tripathi and Venu Govindaraju, vice president for research and economic development, and principal investigator of the AI institute. Photo: Nancy J. Parisi.

AI for Social Good

UB’s robust research environment enables AI scholars to push the boundaries of innovation in cybersecurity, drug discovery and medicine, education, environmental science and more. For almost five decades, UB has been conducting groundbreaking research in machine learning and building a reputation as a “national and international powerhouse” in harnessing AI for public good.

AI and Education: Young girl with digital mathematical equations in background and foreground.

AI in Education

UB leads the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education - funded by the National Science Foundation and the Institute of Education Sciences of the US Department of Education – which aims to close educational gaps by developing advanced AI technologies to aid nearly 3.4 million children in the U.S. with speech and language processing challenges. The five-year, $20 million institute will develop assistive technologies to help provide earlier universal screening to school-aged children who are at a higher risk of falling behind in their educational development. The institute is working to combat the nationwide shortage of speech-language pathologists (SLP) exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Physicians reviewing electronic medical records and test results on AI generated display.

AI in Healthcare

AI can be a helpful tool in understanding the contributions to disease, predicting patient responses to drugs or medical interventions, and addressing global health challenges by tracking the spread of infectious diseases. As a national leader in artificial intelligence, UB is well-positioned to shape the future of human-centered, AI-assisted, healthcare through a comprehensive understanding of data as well as the biological and clinical problems underlying patient treatment.

National AI Institute for Exceptional Education.

Artificial Intelligence Centers and Institutes

National AI Institute for Exceptional Education

The National AI Institute for Exceptional Education is an NSF-funded National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Institute led by the University at Buffalo dedicated to assisting children with speech-and-language acquisition challenges.

Artificial Intelligence Centers and Institutes

Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science

The Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (IAD) brings together researchers, labs, institutes and centers of excellence at the University at Buffalo focused on advancements in AI, data science and related areas of research to tackle complex problems.

Presidents Office, SUNY, Elected Officials and Chancellor King visit UB. Student demos were setup in the Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science. Photo credit: University at Buffalo | Meredith Forrest Kulwicki.
Woman on tablet thinking of programming and cybersecurity research.

Artificial Intelligence Centers and Institutes

Center for Information Integrity

The Center for Information Integrity (CII) is devoted to the identification, amelioration and combating of misleading information in the public sphere.

Artificial Intelligence Centers and Institutes

Center for Unified Biometrics and Sensors

The Center for Unified Biometrics and Sensors (CUBS) is focused on advancing the fundamental science of biometrics and integrating software algorithms for accurate identification (various biometrics) and data analysis (informatics).

Fingerprint identification adcancing biometric security.

Meet Venu Govindaraju

Venu Govindaraju.

Venu Govindaraju, PhD, is the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, a SUNY Distinguished Professor in Computer Science and a nationally and internationally recognized research scientist in artificial intelligence who pioneered the Handwriting Interpretation System now used by USPS. Serving on the SUNY AI Taskforce as co-chair, he will work to outline a five-year strategy for harnessing AI in education, as well as developing training across the SUNY 64-member campus system to create a highly skilled NYS workforce in AI. Govindaraju has garnered more than $95M in research funding – including $20M from the National Science Foundation and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) – to establish the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education, for which he is Director and PI.

Meet the Experts Revolutionizing Artificial Intelligence

Jinjun Xiong.

Jinjun Xiong

Xiong, a leading expert in AI algorithms, has developed a program that can detect early signs of disease in plants to optimize growth, enhance agriculture and combat food insecurity.

Ifeoma Nwogu.

Ifeoma Nwogu

Nwogu, a top expert in AI and facial recognition, shares her perspective on the devastating effects of bias and discrimination in facial recognition software.

Siwei Lyu.

Siwei Lyu

Lyu, a national expert in cybersecurity, has been tapped to lead a $1.8 million initiative to strengthen artificial intelligence models within the U.S. Department of Defense.

Rohini Srihari.

Rohini Srihari

Srihari, a leading expert in virtual assistants and digital literacy, is aiding in the development of a digital program that teaches older adults how to avoid online scams. 

UB supported startups and early-stage companies leveraging AI

QAS.AI develops solutions for real-time assistance during endovascular procedures. The company’s AI-driven software can be used during surgery to detect areas of inadequate blood flow in the brain and predict efficacy of aneurysm correction six months after embolization. 

With the support of UB’s Business and Entrepreneurial Partnerships, StarCo Lighting partnered with Jinjun Xiong who developed an AI system to monitor plant health. The collaboration created a camera-computer system that observes the vegetation and automatically adjusts the color and temperature of grow lights to improve yields.  

V-Markings brings real-time updates of road changes to the autonomous vehicle industry. The company’s technology detects changes to the road networks, empowering Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, HD Maps, and other end users with an always up-to-date picture of the real world. V-Markings data provides access to rich insights and time-critical information, including work zones, pattern changes, and new construction.

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Artificial Intelligence Tackles Some of the World’s Most Challenging Problems

UB’s AI applications span a vast array of disciplines: From improving medical diagnostics to identifying deepfakes, our researchers utilize AI’s capabilities to solve the world’s most complex challenges.

Explore More UB AI Experts

Get to know other UB faculty members pioneering ground-breaking research in artificial intelligence.