When classes resume this fall, Emory University will be home to the new Center for Artificial Intelligence Learning. According to the university, the center will promote AI literacy across all units of the campus and provide co-curricular learning opportunities that “equip the Emory community with the skills needed to thrive in a technology-focused future.”
The school believes the new center will serve as a “locus of community” for those on the campus interested in how AI can apply to their area of interest. Further, the school hopes that the center will make AI learning “ubiquitous” for all members of the Emory community, regardless of their area of study or status as a student, staff, alum, or faculty member.
To achieve its goals, the Center for Artificial Intelligence Learn has organized its offerings under four pillars – skill-building, support services, experiential learning, and community building.
The center is part of the university-wide AI.Humanity and Student Flourishing strategic initiatives. It will also partner with Emory Libraries to provide resources, expertise, and programming collaborations.
The center will be led by Cliff Carrubba, chair of the Department of Quantitative Theory and Methods in Emory College of Arts and Sciences, and Lance Waller, professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics in the Rollins School of Public Health. The co-leaders said in a press release that they envision the center as a connective tissue between curriculum and community.
“We see the Center for AI Learning as catalyzing existing academic programs and providing a multiplier effect to expand the impact of AI education at Emory,” said Carrubba. “The Center will also play an important role in creating a vibrant community of AI scholars while encouraging entry into AI curriculum for everyone, regardless of major, research focus or position.”
When full programming launches, the center will offer year-round short courses and workshops available to the entire Emory community. Before the full launch this fall, the center will offer research practicums for students this summer.
During the year-round short courses, a variety of topics will be covered from general AI literacy to more advanced topics such as data visualization and modeling, neural networks, and bioinformatics. Emory University said that these shared training experiences will add to the growing interdisciplinary AI network across campus.
The center will also have help desk consulting staffed by undergraduate and graduate students to provide real-time support on AI-related projects. The center will also offer an online resource library, video tutorials, and AI tools.
“By facilitating education, research, and community, the Center for AI Learning will make Emory University a destination for students looking to use AI to solve problems and answer questions in service of humanity,” said Waller. “It will enhance the ability of Emory faculty to do work at the leading edge of AI and provide a venue for an intellectual community that crosses departments, schools, and beyond to the professional world.”
