HARRISBURG, Pa. — With the growing impact of artificial intelligence, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has announced a partnership with Penn State to leverage faculty expertise and receive advisory support on artificial intelligence (AI)-related topics such as organizational strategy, risk assessment and governance.
“As government leaders, we need to lean into innovation and adapt to the changing tech environment in a responsible way while we educate ourselves and work proactively to minimize the risks and maximize the benefits of new technologies,” said Shapiro. “I signed an executive order to govern the use of generative artificial intelligence and take advantage of the opportunities these new technologies present to ensure our commonwealth approaches gen AI responsibly and ethically. Penn State is already a national leader in thinking about and deploying AI, and partnering with another flagship university will help the commonwealth use AI to improve the way we serve Pennsylvanians ethically and responsibly.”
Penn State’s Center for Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to Industry (AIMI), housed in the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, will partner with the governor’s newly established Generative AI Governance Board, working alongside senior government officials and other subject-matter experts, including peers at Carnegie Mellon University.
“This partnership directly reflects Penn State’s commitment to serving Pennsylvania as our commonwealth’s land-grant university,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “We look forward to working with Gov. Shapiro and his administration to help these emerging technological breakthroughs meet the needs of Pennsylvania and the world for the shared benefit of our communities, our commonwealth, and our global society.”
Penn State faculty experts also will provide advice as the board oversees the responsible, efficient and ethical use of generative AI across the state.
“The AIMI team welcomes this opportunity to support the governor’s vision of using futuristic and evolving AI technologies to serve the people of the commonwealth,” said Soundar Kumara, director of AIMI, Allen E. Pearce and Allen M. Pearce Professor of Industrial Engineering, and affiliate professor of information sciences and technology. “In the 18 months since AIMI was created, we have been working toward serving many Pennsylvania sectors. For example, one area of focus is helping small and medium enterprises by building machine learning (ML) and generative AI-enabled systems to make them more self-reliant and less dependent on global supply chains.”
AIMI’s leadership will open opportunities for the state to leverage key private sector innovations and establish a channel of communication with Penn State’s industry partners who are at the forefront of AI development, which will foster innovation throughout the commonwealth.
“This newfound collaboration with Gov. Shapiro’s office stands as a testament to the formidable prowess of Penn State, where our multifaceted excellence spans cutting-edge domains like artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics and more,” said Andrew Read, interim senior vice president for research at Penn State.
Penn State can leverage its state-of-the-art computing infrastructure, such as the Roar supercomputer, to address complex problems at scale, empower researchers and businesses to extract meaningful insights from large datasets, and optimize decision-making processes. Additional research expertise includes studying and developing algorithmic theories to model aspects of behavior through machine learning, predictive modeling, data mining, and casual discovery through Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology.
“Penn State stands at the forefront of innovation in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning, boasting a dynamic ecosystem of world-class researchers, cutting-edge facilities, and a strong industry collaboration network,” said Jenni Evans, director of the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences. “Penn State faculty are renowned for their expertise in diverse domains, from natural language processing and computer vision to reinforcement learning and data analytics, making Penn State an ideal partner for high-tech projects that demand advanced AI solutions.”
AIMI then connects discoveries made by these researchers and their students with industry members to help solve real-world problems and seize market opportunities. Through their work, AIMI helps partners explore innovative ways to leverage AI to design solutions that advance industry and contribute to the capacity of our nation’s competitive workforce.
Kumara’s leadership at AIMI brings in more than three decades of his experience in working with AI and machine learning to solve problems in manufacturing, health care and logistics, as well as societal issues like health care access, food deserts and suicide vulnerability.
The Penn State AI Hub, formed in 2021, was designed to provide a nexus around which all the wide-reaching research, education and application activities across all Penn State campuses related to artificial intelligence can coalesce. By promoting resources and talent throughout the University, the hub looks to advance fundamental innovations in AI, using AI and machine learning to solve the hardest challenges and to spread applications of AI and ML in unforeseen areas.
“I envision a future where the limitless potential of artificial intelligence is harnessed to drive innovation, solve complex problems, and empower our community. Our strength lies in our commitment to collaboration, cutting-edge research, and the transformative power of AI,” said David Hunter, director of the AI Hub. “Together, in close partnership with the Shapiro administration, we will not only advise the state on AI and ML strategies but also pave the way for a world where AI becomes a force for good, shaping a brighter future for all.”
Penn State’s capabilities around AI and ML are a melding of interdisciplinary research and core computational facilities, which make it attractive to industry and agency partners. Nationally, AI has quickly become one of the most transformative technologies, with its impact spanning everything from arts to agriculture and from the home computer to national security. Currently, 13 states have enacted laws surrounding AI, with 11 additional states, including Pennsylvania, having proposed legislation.
About Penn State
Penn State is a multi-campus, land-grant, public research University that educates students from around the world, and supports individuals and communities through integrated programs of teaching, research and service. Penn State is an R1 university, a classification given by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Higher Education to the very best research universities in America, reaching a record of more than $1 billion in research expenditures during fiscal year 2021-22. The University’s discovery-oriented, collaborative and interdisciplinary research and scholarship promote human and economic development, global understanding, and advancement in professional practice through the expansion of knowledge and its applications in the natural and applied sciences, social and behavioral sciences, engineering, technology, arts and humanities, and myriad professions. The University’s instructional mission includes undergraduate, graduate, professional, continuing and extension education, offered through both resident instruction and distance learning. Penn State’s educational programs are enriched by the talent, knowledge, diversity, creativity and teaching and research acumen of its faculty, students and staff. As Pennsylvania’s sole land-grant university, Penn State provides unparalleled access to education and public service to support the citizens of the commonwealth and beyond. The University engages in collaborative activities with private sector, educational and governmental partners worldwide to generate, integrate, apply and disseminate knowledge that is valuable to society.
