Pioneering an AI Research Hub

May 12, 2021

abstract of man pointing to binary code on computer screen

This article originally appeared in Engineering @ Northeastern magazine, Spring 2021.

Northeastern’s new Institute for Experiential Artificial Intelligence is a pioneering research hub focused on application-driven, human-centered AI that places human skills and intelligence at the forefront of AI development. The university is allocating $50 million for the new Institute, in which leading experts in the engineering, computer science, humanities, law, public policy, AI, health, security, and sustainability collaborate to develop solutions to the world’s challenges.

The Institute for Experiential AI is university-wide and based out of the Roux Institute at Northeastern—a graduate education and research campus in Portland, Maine, made possible through a $100 million investment in the university from David and Barbara Roux. The Roux Institute is designed to educate generations of talent for the digital and life sciences sectors, and drive sustained economic growth in Portland, the state of Maine, and northern New England.

“Northeastern is committed to building the top research institute in the world when it comes to experiential AI. One of the reasons I’m excited about that is because no one has yet claimed the space. There is a chance to be the leader [in the field],” says Usama Fayyad, the executive director for the Institute of Experiential AI.

The Institute for Experiential AI is recruiting 30 new research and teaching faculty, data scientists, and postdoctoral fellows. Faculty from the Colleges of Engineering and Khoury College of Computer Sciences, among other disciplines, are conducting and collaborating on multidisciplinary research as part of the Institute. The aim is to accelerate research and applications through pragmatic applications of AI in several domains.

The Institute plans to partner with industry, government, and academia to lead the effort in creating human-in-the-loop AI solutions that are used ethically and responsibly, and in educating the next generation of AI professionals. The Institute also aims to be a major contributor to the AI ecosystem globally, and through activities targeted in the region, an important driver of the field in New England.