UB takes AI chat series to Grand Island Central School District

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Artificial intelligence has the potential to drastically alter education systems.

It can provide students personalized learning experiences and instantaneous feedback, as well as deliver data to teachers on how to better engage students and improve curriculum.

But there are concerns, everything from students using AI to write essays, unintentional bias within AI programs, and job loss among teachers.

These topics and more will be discussed Thursday at Grand Island Central School District during the second installment of UB | AI Chat Series, “Advancing Education with Responsible AI.”

News media are invited to the panel discussion, as well as AI demonstrations and a poster session that will follow.

When: 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19.

Where: Grand Island Senior High School, 1100 Ransom Road, Grand Island, New York, 14072.

Best time for visuals: From 7-7:30 p.m., UB students will demonstrate AI programs and display posters that describe their work.

Who: The panel discussion will feature:

• Rachel Hageman Blair, associate director for education in the UB Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, and associate professor of biostatistics in the UB School of Public Health and Health Professions.
• Mary Howard, author of “Artificial Intelligence to Streamline Your Teacher Life: The ChatGPT Guide for Educators,” and sixth grade English Language Arts and science teacher at Grand Island Central School District.
• Kenneth Joseph, assistant professor of computer science and engineering in the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
• Jinjun Xioing, co-director of the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education at UB, and SUNY Empire Innovation Professor of computer science and engineering in the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Suzanne Rosenblith, dean of the UB Graduate School of Education, will moderate the discussion. Brian Graham, superintendent of Grand Island Central School District will deliver a welcome address. And Venu Govindaraju, SUNY Distinguished Professor and UB vice president for research and economic development, will provide opening remarks.

Background: The two-year AI chat series will feature faculty-led and moderated discussions that explore how UB researchers from a wide variety of academic disciplines are harnessing artificial intelligence for the betterment of society.

It will spotlight significant new projects underway at UB such as the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education, which received $20 million from the federal government in January, as well as nearly $6 million in National Science Foundation-sponsored research to help older adults recognize and combat online scams and disinformation, among other endeavors.

The University at Buffalo has been a worldwide leader in artificial intelligence research and education for nearly 50 years. This includes pioneering work creating the world’s first autonomous handwriting recognition system, which the U.S. Postal Service and Royal Mail adopted to save billions of dollars. As New York’s flagship university, that legacy of innovation continues today. UB researchers are committed to using AI for social good, including developing new technology that addresses the shortage of speech-language pathologists in K-12 education, deepfakes, the need for improved medical imaging and more.