AI and Language and Intercultural Competence
If you’d like to master a language, learn about different cultures, and explore how AI can improve the ways we communicate, you’ve found the perfect fit. Whether you want to remove cultural bias from AI, develop sign language recognition software, optimize patient outcomes for healthcare and wellness, develop business strategies for new markets, improve translation apps, or find other ways to help people around the globe, this unique major will let you combine your interests—and put your talent to good use.
What will I learn?
Throughout this program, you’ll study the relationship between AI and society and the basics of AI technologies, so you can understand how AI tools can be built by society, for society. Your courses will also help you learn how language works and how language data can be analyzed. You’ll specialize in a language—you can choose from American Sign Language, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, or Spanish—as you take advanced, immersive language classes and study their related cultures. Finally, you’ll have a capstone course where you can bring together everything you’ve learned to look for solutions to real-world problems.
UB: A Leader in AI
- Home to Empire AI, a statewide hub for addressing societal challenges through AI.
- Home to National AI Institute funded by the National Science Foundation.
- More than 400 researchers involved with AI.
- Multiple institutes and centers focused on AI applications.
- Other degree programs like this one create a community of students focused on the study of AI for the social good.
What can I do with an AI and Language and Intercultural Competence degree?
When you graduate with a thorough understanding of AI—plus advanced knowledge of a non-English language—you’ll have the flexibility to apply your skills in different ways.
For example, you might get a job designing chatbots for different languages and cultures, helping a Japanese firm adapt its technology for global audiences, studying historic Chinese texts with AI tools, or improving AI accessibility for Deaf communities. Specific jobs could include:
- Accessibility device developer.
- AI product manager.
- AI accessibility analyst.
- Chatbot developer.
- Cultural assessment instrument developer.
- Data scientist.
- Global business analyst (new markets).
- International aide coordinator.
- Language resource creator and evaluator.
- Learning software developer.
- Natural language processing (NLP) specialist.
- Technical translator.
- Voice assistant developer.
If you prefer to get an advanced degree after you graduate, you can continue your studies in various subjects, including AI, language, linguistics, education, business or health-related professions.