Cornell University

Cornell AI Initiative

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

Cornell leads project putting robots to work in US orchards

A Cornell-led research project is developing robots that can perform labor-intensive orchard operations; it’s supported by a four-year, $7.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative. 

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Cornell expands AI Critical Literacy Program for incoming students

After a successful pilot launch in the spring, Cornell’s AI Critical Literacy Program will be offered in the fall to all incoming students as well as other interested students, faculty members and staff.

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Strike a pose: Creating more realistic multi-person images

A Cornell research group has devised a way to generate an image of multiple people, incorporating the poses of all individuals to inform the image generation and make the scene more believable and accurate.

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Weak AI regulation may backfire, making products less safe

A new modeling study finds no regulation of AI products and services may be safer than weak regulation.

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Inside baseball: AI-enabled enforcement tech takes time, testing

Training artificial intelligence to enforce even seemingly straightforward rules – like balls and strikes in Major League Baseball – is a messy, dynamic process that takes time and careful evaluation of the technology.

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Widespread AI misuse means higher ed must rethink assessment

May 21, 2026

Large numbers of college students are now using artificial intelligence to complete – and cheat on – their assignments, suggesting that colleges and universities need to change how they are evaluating students.

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Building Benchmarks for AI-Driven Veterinary Innovation

May 20, 2026

— June 11, 2026;  4 to 5 p.m. — Public Panel: Plans for the VETMED Ecosystem

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Toyota Research Institute, Cornell partner on AI projects

May 18, 2026

Researchers from the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering and the Cornell Bowers College of Computing and Information Science are teaming up with the Toyota Research Institute for projects involving AI personalization and robotics.

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Four student-founded AI companies win Cornell Tech Startup Awards

May 15, 2026

The startups each won $100,000 investments during the university’s annual Startup Awards competition, held May 14.

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Morgans’ $1.25M gift to support AI fellows program

May 14, 2026

A $1.25 million seed grant from James C. Morgan ’60, MBA ’63, and Rebecca Quinn Morgan ’60 will support the establishment of an AI fellows program focused on operational and administrative transformation.

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Humans are bad at making complex decisions. AI can help

May 14, 2026

A new tool is designed to help users rank a set of choices – such as job applicants, graduate schools, even Oscar candidates.

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New approach designs healthcare robots with, not for, the people who use them

May 14, 2026

A new Cornell Tech-led study invites healthcare workers, long-term care residents, and community members to help design the robots themselves.

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Regular audits would build trust, confidence in AI

May 13, 2026

J. Nathan Matias, assistant professor of communication, is a co-author of “Auditing AI,” which offers AI users from all walks of life an introduction into AI evaluation, which is key for developing trust in the technology.

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What does it mean to train an AI to speak like you?

May 4, 2026

Ultra-personalized AI for assisted communication risks muting aspects of the user’s identity and can breach privacy, according to a study from a Cornell Tech doctoral student who trained the technology on himself.