AI and Responsible Communication
Deepfakes. Chatbots. Search engines. Voice assistants. Every day, AI is changing the ways that we communicate with each other (and, increasingly, how we communicate with computers). Now, you can be at the forefront of using AI and communication to help society. Whether you want to create AI-driven content, improve media literacy for vulnerable populations or develop more effective AI prompts, this unique major lets you prepare for some of the most exciting—and meaningful—careers.
What will I learn?
You’ll start with foundational courses to explore how AI works and its impact. For example, you’ll learn how communication platforms like smartphones and social media have disrupted society, how to use AI ethically, and how computing systems are connected into a digital infrastructure. Then, you’ll take communication courses (including many electives) to study mass media, network effects, research methods, communication practices within organizations and other topics based on your interests. The program culminates with a capstone course involving a real-world challenge for you and your team to solve.
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 Responsible Communication degree?
When you combine strong communication skills with a thorough understanding of AI, you give yourself more choices—including new types of jobs that might not even exist yet. Your career path might include:
- Making a company’s AI more human-friendly.
- Teaching the public how to tell what content is real.
- Creating better conversational flows for AI models.
- Designing voice assistants.
- Implementing AI-driven marketing campaigns.
- Developing AI ethics policies for government agencies.
- Working with researchers on natural language processing tools.
- Finding ways to integrate AI into traditional communication platforms.
Because communication skills are valued in nearly any organization, you might find yourself working for an advertising agency, law firm, health care provider or elected official. And if you want to go to graduate school, this major provides a solid foundation.