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Forbes names UB one of 12 colleges ‘reinventing education’ for AI era
UB’s National AI Institute for Exceptional Education in Lockwood Memorial Library. Photo: Douglas Levere
By CORY NEALON
Published October 23, 2026
Forbes magazine has included UB among 12 leading colleges and universities that are “reinventing education for the era of artificial intelligence.”
The article places UB alongside institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and Carnegie Mellon University.
“For nearly five decades, the University at Buffalo has been at the forefront of artificial intelligence research and education, says Venu Govindaraju, senior vice president for research, innovation and economic development and chief AI officer at UB.
“As a flagship university of New York, UB continues to advance the field through groundbreaking research and innovative educational opportunities. Our faculty and students are leveraging AI to develop solutions to pressing societal challenges in education, healthcare, sustainability and beyond.”
Forbes highlights UB’s interdisciplinary AI+X bachelor’s degree program, which pairs AI with traditional academic disciplines. The program, which is part of UB’s new Department of AI and Society, launched in the fall of 2025 with the following offerings.
- 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
- AI and responsible communication
UB has since added two bachelor’s degree programs: AI and Philosophy, Politics and Economics; and AI and Health. It also offers minors and master’s degrees in AI-focused fields. The Department of AI and Society’s academics page provides more details.
The recognition comes after UB was ranked by AIREDEX™ (AI Readiness Index) among the nation’s top 25 universities for preparing students for a future driven by AI.
The ranking spotlighted, among other things, UB students’ access to computing power and noted that UB is home to the shared supercomputer for Empire AI, a $500 million statewide consortium launched by Gov. Kathy Hochul that leverages AI to address societal challenges.
UB researchers are using the facility, which is one of the most powerful academic artificial intelligence-focused supercomputers in the United States, to tackle pressing societal needs in service to the public good.
Across the university, more than 200 UB faculty are pursuing groundbreaking advancements in health and medicine, renewable energy, education and other fields that better society and drive innovation in New York State and beyond.