Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders in Artificial Intelligence

New interdisciplinary degrees provide a deep understanding of AI while preparing students for tomorrow’s careers.

AI graphic within University at Buffalo North Campus over Lake Lasalle.
Researcher

Atri Rudra, Katherine Johnson Chair in Artificial Intelligence, Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Inaugural Chair, Department of AI and Society, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

As students across the country seek an education that will prepare them for a future shaped by AI, the University at Buffalo has stepped up to meet that demand with a new department and seven new interdisciplinary AI degrees—the first of their kind in the nation.

Launched in fall 2025, the degree programs combine AI with academic disciplines such as logic, communication and economics. They’re supported by $5 million in state funding awarded by Gov. Kathy Hochul to establish the Department of AI and Society (AIS), dedicated to harnessing artificial intelligence for the public good.

Humanities matter

These offerings train students to apply AI tools to their respective disciplines, while also providing a deep understanding of the technology’s historical context and societal implications.

“This is not just about infusing AI into other disciplines,” said Atri Rudra, the Katherine Johnson Chair in Artificial Intelligence and inaugural chair of the AIS department. “As much as AI can benefit the arts, humanities and social sciences, AI desperately needs the arts, humanities and social sciences as well. We recognize that AI systems cannot benefit society without an AI workforce that understands society.”

The seven majors, which follow an “AI + X” model, are: AI and geospatial analysis, AI and language and intercultural competence, AI and language technology, AI and logic and ontology, AI and policy analysis, AI and quantitative economics, and AI and responsible communication. The university also introduced two minors: AI ethics, and artificial intelligence, crime and society.

UB graduates with AI data graphic.

Students at the forefront

Jackson Fahrbach, a member of the department’s first student cohort, is majoring in AI and quantitative economics. Long interested in finance and investing, the junior is excited by the potential that AI holds to transform our understanding of economics.

“AI can generate statistics and research on almost anything we want to examine—whether it’s a company or its stock, or the price of gold historically—and how trends are set to continue in the future,” he said. “We are at the forefront of a revolution when it comes to technology relating to AI and neural networks.”

Many more students are set to join Fahrbach’s ranks soon, as the AIS department has received nearly 200 applications for the upcoming academic year.

The University at Buffalo has been a worldwide leader in artificial intelligence research and education for nearly 50 years. This includes pioneering work creating the world’s first autonomous handwriting recognition system, which the U.S. Postal Service and Royal Mail adopted in the 1990s to save billions of dollars. As New York’s flagship university, UB continues that legacy of innovation today. More than 200 UB researchers are using AI for social good, including developing new AI-powered technology and ideas that tackle pressing societal challenges in education, health care, sustainability and other areas.