Latest stories, updates, and announcements that highlight the people, research, and progress of AI throughout Cornell.

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AI Headlines from Around the University

Project to rebuild trust in AI era lands Laude’s $10M ‘moonshot’ award

A $10 million “moonshot” grant from Laude Institute will help Cornell researchers realize the potential of artificial intelligence, while giving online communities control over AI’s role.

New initiative will explore AI’s role in society, humanities

With AI transforming how societies function, a new program in the College of Arts and Sciences aims to meet the urgent need to understand AI’s implications for culture, governance, ethics, communication, creativity, labor and social organization.

New CoPAIR program connects Cornell researchers with AI tools, training and community

The new Communities of Practice for AI-enabled Research (CoPAIR) program gives researchers access to emerging AI tools, hands-on training and collaborative communities where they can share best practices, develop disciplinary norms for appropriate AI use and non-use, and evaluate new tools for research. 

‘A seat at the table’: Cornell expands access to multiple AI tools for faculty, staff, students

Most faculty, staff and students will have free access to a range of AI platforms – an effort to level the playing field, spur exploration and reduce the costs and vulnerabilities of individual consumer licenses.

Cute robots, historical chatbots: AI in the classroom grows more sophisticated

Instructors across Cornell are working to strike a balance in the classroom – using AI as a teaching tool but also making choices to prevent its use and preserve the learning experience.

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New algorithm picks fairer shortlist when applicants abound

November 4, 2024

Cornell researchers developed a more equitable method for choosing top candidates from a large applicant pool in cases where insufficient information makes it hard to choose.

While humans still make many high-stakes decisions – like who should get a job, admission to college or a spot in a clinical trial – artificial intelligence (AI) models are increasingly used to narrow down the applicants into a manageable shortlist.

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Visiting lecturer will explore expanded vision for AI in research

November 4, 2024

Polymath scholar Sendhil Mullainathan ’93, a behavioral economist who has combined computational and social sciences to produce pioneering work on health care, poverty and the criminal justice system, will deliver three public lectures at Cornell Nov. 11-13 for the Messenger Lectures series.

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Rising star Ben Laufer: Improving accountability and trustworthiness in AI

October 23, 2024

With artificial intelligence increasingly integrated into our daily lives, one of the most pressing concerns about this emerging technology is ensuring that the new innovations being developed consider their impact on individuals from different backgrounds and communities. The work of researchers like Cornell Tech PhD student Ben Laufer is critical for understanding the social and ethical implications of algorithmic decision-making.

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How Angela Chen’s award winning designs integrate AI and responsible design

October 23, 2024

Angela Chen M.S. ’22, who is an alumna of Cornell in Ithaca and Cornell Tech, pioneered and launched two AI healthcare design products during her time at Cornell Tech and brings to life the value of tech for good. Her AI designs, Calmspace and Argo Data Marketplace, recently won the 2024 A’ Design Award (Italy), 2024 MUSE Design Awards, 2024 New York Product Design Awards and London Design Awards for their ingenuity in helping address problems faced by those working in the healthcare industry.

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Leading the charge in cybersecurity, trust, and safety

October 23, 2024

In an era where digital threats are ever-evolving, the need for advanced education and research in cybersecurity, trust, and safety is paramount. Cornell Tech’s new Security, Trust, and Safety (SETS) Initiative, a cutting-edge program aimed at revolutionizing these fields, aims to address these challenges head-on. The director of the SETS program, Google alum Alexios Mantzarlis, brings a wealth of experience and a vision to this critical endeavor.

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Thomas Ristenpart honored with “Test of Time” award

October 23, 2024

Thomas Ristenpart, a Professor at Cornell Tech and in the Computer Science Department at Cornell University, received the esteemed Test of Time Award at the 33rd USENIX Security Symposium. This accolade recognizes his co-authored 2014 paper, “Privacy in Pharmacogenetics: An End-to-End Case Study of Personalized Warfarin Dosing,” for its enduring impact on the field over the past 10 years.

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Considering race in colon cancer prediction reduces disparities

October 23, 2024

Taking race into account when developing tools to predict a patient’s risk of colorectal cancer leads to more accurate predictions when compared with race-blind algorithms, researchers find.

While many medical researchers have argued that race should be removed as a factor from clinical algorithms that predict disease risks, a new study finds that, at least for colorectal cancer, including race can help correct a data issue – inaccurate recording of family history for Black patients.

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Cornell Tech researcher part of $12 million NSF study to reduce computing’s carbon footprint

October 23, 2024

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $12 million to a multi-institutional team of researchers that includes Cornell Tech Assistant Professor Udit Gupta for an initiative to establish new standards for carbon accounting in the computing industry.

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AI-generated college admissions essays sound male, privileged

October 4, 2024

In an examination of thousands of human-written college admissions essays and those generated by AI, researchers found that the AI-generated essays are most similar to essays authored by students who are males, with higher socioeconomic status and higher levels of social privilege.