SUNY chancellor, state lawmakers hear how UB researchers are using AI for public good

Identifying false images circulating through social media. Creating tools so speech-language pathologists can help more children. Improving identification of “forever chemicals.” And determining the best treatment for stroke victims.

Those are just some of the ways that UB researchers, under the leadership of Venu Govindaraju, vice president for research and economic development at UB, are developing artificial intelligence (AI) for the public good.

A handful of researchers demonstrated the innovative approaches they’re taking to address societal problems during a roundtable discussion held July 17 at UB’s National AI Institute for Exceptional Education on the North Campus.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. attended the roundtable. He was joined by New York State Sen. Sean Ryan; New York State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes; Assemblymember Steven Otis, who chairs the Assembly Science and Technology Committee; members of the Assembly Science and Technology Committee; and a delegation of state lawmakers from Western New York.

“We are honored to welcome Chancellor John B. King Jr. to the University at Buffalo, where the future of artificial intelligence for public good is being shaped,” said Govindaraju, an internationally recognized innovator in AI for decades whose work includes development of the first autonomous recognition system capable of deciphering handwritten addresses, which is utilized by postal services around the world.

UB formed the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education in 2023 after receiving a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education.

The institute, which is led by Govindaraju, a SUNY Distinguished Professor of computer science and engineering, is developing new AI tools to assist young children with processing challenges in speech or language, or both.

The $20 million award ranks as the largest NSF grant for any current full-time faculty member at UB, and for Govindaraju, it is the latest in a series of continuous NSF funding throughout his faculty career at UB of more than two decades. Since 2002, he has received more than 15 NSF awards, the most of any faculty member in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

“Today, our roundtable of esteemed academic leaders, AI experts and elected officials share AI advances that promote a dialogue on AI policy and practices in critical areas,” Govindaraju said. “Together, we are pioneering AI discoveries that will drive progress in research and economic development, demonstrating UB’s commitment to leveraging technology for societal benefit.”

Otis initiated the forum for the state’s elected leaders, who are poised to guide state policies regarding the future of AI. The spirited discussion came on the heels of Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state legislature naming UB as the home of Empire AI, a $400 million public-private consortium that aims to accelerate research and innovation in AI while driving sustained economic growth across the state.

“UB’s history as a leader in AI research and development dates back to the early 1990s when UB researchers developed a handwriting-recognition system for the United States Postal Service,” King said. “I want to express my appreciation to Assemblymember Otis for his interest in hosting this pivotal discussion on AI at the host site of the Empire AI consortium. None of this would be possible without the steadfast support of Gov. Hochul and the state legislature in securing historic funding for SUNY to embark on innovative AI exploration. With the unwavering commitment and ingenuity of our SUNY faculty and students, SUNY will continue to be at the forefront of AI research and development.”

The AI experts who participated in the roundtable were:

• Siwei Lyu, co-director of the Center for Information Integrity, director of the UB Media Forensic Lab and SUNY Empire Innovation Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. He discussed ways in which AI identifies fake images, voices and videos that infiltrate social media and victimize everyone from teenagers to senior citizens. Lyu also described an online game created for older adults to help them ferret out fraudulent scams.
• X. Christine Wang, director of the Fisher-Price Early Childhood Research Center, professor of learning and instruction, and associate dean for interdisciplinary research, Graduate School of Education. She discussed how AI can assist speech-language pathologists in treating children with special needs. This includes flashcards that can be tailored to a child’s specific challenges, cultural background or language.
• Karthik Dantu, associate professor of computer science and engineering, who researches software systems challenges in mobile systems and robotics. He demonstrated a few tricks of the whimsical robot dog, Yubie.
• Diana Aga, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Henry M. Woodburn Chair, Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences. She discussed how AI can predict large-scale events such as flooding, and identify the toxicity of “forever chemicals.”
• Jason Davies, assistant professor, departments of Neurosurgery and Biomedical Informatics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He talked about how AI can quickly predict outcomes and identify best treatment for strokes and aneurysms, among other innovative medical developments.

“When it comes to leading our state in AI research, it’s a natural fit for this groundbreaking work to be centered at one of our top SUNY institutions — the University at Buffalo,” Ryan said. “UB has been a trailblazer in AI research for decades. With a strong commitment of state funding, this work will help guide New York into a future where AI is used to serve the public good.”