News & Events

SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. attended a roundtable discussion, presentation and demonstrations on innovative approaches UB researchers are taking to address societal problems . The program was held in the AI4ExceptionalEd learning laboratory.  Chancellor King was joined by New York State Sen. Sean Ryan; New York State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes; Assemblymember Steven Otis, who chairs the Assembly Science and Technology Committee; members of the Assembly Science and Technology Committee; and a delegation of state lawmakers from Western New York.

The National AI Institute for Exceptional Education is committed to developing novel AI-driven clinical and educational tools for screening and intervention for children with speech and language challenges.  

Stay up to date with the latest breakthroughs, collaborations, and advancements in AI at our institute. From cutting-edge research announcements to upcoming conferences, workshops, and guest lectures, this page keeps you informed about the exciting work happening in our AI community. Explore recent achievements, industry partnerships, and opportunities to engage with experts shaping the future of artificial intelligence.

AI4ExceptionalEd In the News

  • How UB researchers are using AI for the public good
    7/18/24

    SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. and state lawmakers attended a roundtable during which UB faculty discussed their innovative work in the field.

  • UB is ready to lead in AI for social good
    4/2/24

    Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan opened the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education.

  • Xiong named IEEE fellow
    3/20/24

    The UB computer scientist was recognized for his contributions to process variation modeling, circuit yield optimization and their applications in industry.

  • Elected officials, UB leadership gather to tout Empire AI
    3/25/24

    The proposed statewide consortium aims to put New York State at the forefront of responsible artificial intelligence innovation.

  • NSF Hill Day and Congressional Show
    10/17/24
    Capitol Hill welcomed the 25 NSF-supported Artificial Intelligence Institutes to showcase their research, vision, and accomplishments to members of Congress including UB’s Venu Govindaraju and Jinjun Xiong.
  • Better understanding AI in education
    1/9/24

    The new AI + Education Learning Community Series provides a collaborative platform to address and navigate artificial intelligence in education. 

  • UB to create AI systems to help kids with speech, language disorders
    1/9/23

    The $20M NSF-funded institute will address the nationwide shortage of speech-language pathologists.

Podcasts

Driven to Discover: AI for Social Good with Jinjun Xiong

Jinjun Xiong was a young computer scientist at IBM when the company’s Watson computer famously beat the top human players on “Jeopardy!”. While the rest of the world oohed and aahed, Xiong wondered if we should be using AI for a higher purpose—not to defeat humans, but to help them. Now a SUNY Empire Innovation Professor at the University at Buffalo and director of UB’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, Xiong is committed to using AI for the betterment of society. In this episode of Driven to Discover, Xiong talks to host Cory Nealon about the epiphany that drove his career choices; the AI projects he’s most excited about at UB, including a $20 million National Science Foundation-funded institute to use AI to transform speech-language services in schools; and why he thinks people should stop freaking out about the downsides of AI and be more energized by its possibilities.

Achieving Joy and Mastery in Public Schools: An Overview of AI4ExceptionalEd with Venu Govindaraju, Jinjun Xiong and Ranga Setlur

Brian Graham, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools, Grand Island Central School District, and [acronym here] Advisory Board member, hosts the podcast, Achieving Joy and Mastery in Public Schools. In Season 1, Episode 35, Brian talks with the leadership team of UB’s National Artificial Intelligence Institute for Exceptional Education [acronym].

Joining the podcast from UB: Dr. Venu Govindaraju, Vice President for Research and Economic Development, a SUNY Distinguished Professor in Computer Science, and [acronym] Director; Dr. Jinjun Xiong, SUNY Empire Innovation Professor, Co-Director and Scientific Director of [acronym], and Dr. Ranga Setlur, Co-Director and Principal Research Scientist,

Center for Unified Biometrics and Sensors (CUBS), Associate Director of Community Engagement, Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science and [acronym] Managing Director. Together, they provide an overview of the Institute and how they are planning to achieve its goal of using AI technology to develop: 1.) the AI Screener to enable universal early speech-language screening for all children, and 2.) the AI Orchestrator to work with speech-language pathologists and teachers to provide individualized interventions for children with their formal Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Activities and Events

AI4ExceptionalEd leadership, faculty and students are involved in numerous activities and events. Follow links to determine if a particular event is open to the public and for more information. 

11/19/24: AI & Education: Promoting Educational Equity and Accessibility via AI, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm, virtual

12/5 - 12/7 2024: ASHA Convention, Seattle WA

12/17/24: AI & Education: AI Literacies for K-12 Students and Teachers,  4:00 pm - 5:00 pm, virtual

Past Events

10/22/24: AI & Education: Bridging Formal and Informal Learning via AI, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm, virtual

10/7-10/10/24: Summit for AI Institute Leadership (SAIL), Pittsburgh, PA

9/24/24: AI & Education: Immersive Learning with VR and AR Technologies, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm, virtual

8/27/24: AI & Education: AI in Assessment: Crafting Adaptive Learning Experiences, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm, virtual