UB research center examines how AI can help fight addiction

The UB Center for Addiction and Artificial Intelligence Research (CAAIR) is pairing community engagement with interdisciplinary pilot studies to advance the careful, equitable and responsible use of AI in addressing harmful alcohol and other drug use.

CAAIR brings together researchers, practitioners, community members and people with lived experience to examine both the promise and challenges of using AI in substance use research, treatment, prevention and recovery.

An inaugural Community Engagement Studio, held in June 2026, convened 10 community expert consultants from across Western New York, including healthcare professionals, representatives of community-based organizations and seven people with lived experience of addiction and recovery.

Participants discussed how AI could support those affected by substance use disorders while cautioning against overreliance on technology. They emphasized that AI should strengthen, not replace, relationships among people in recovery, therapists, recovery coaches and other members of recovery support teams.

“The insights shared by our community consultants will play a critical role in guiding future research and technology development,” says Jennifer Read, co-director of CAAIR and SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences. “Their perspectives remind us that successful AI solutions must prioritize trust, transparency and human relationships.”

CAAIR is putting its mission into practice through a Pilot Studies Program that provides awards of up to $25,000. The program supports collaborations that connect addiction science, AI and community perspectives while generating preliminary data for future externally funded research.

“For more than 50 years, UB has been a leader in artificial intelligence research committed to putting innovation to work for the public good,” says Venu Govindaraju, senior vice president for research, innovation and economic development and UB’s chief AI officer. “CAAIR builds on this important legacy by applying AI to the complex challenges surrounding addiction, with the goal of advancing research and improving outcomes for individuals, families and communities.”

An inaugural project, led by Chi-Hua (Richard) Lu, a research scientist in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, will use machine learning to identify patterns of polysubstance use, a growing public health challenge, in large healthcare datasets. The study aims to improve understanding of treatment needs and support more personalized approaches to care.

“AI gives us an opportunity to uncover patterns in healthcare data that might otherwise be difficult to see," Lu says. “Our goal is to turn those insights into a better understanding of patients’ treatment needs and help move substance use care toward more personalized approaches.”

Md Mohaimenul Islam, research assistant professor, and colleagues in the Division of Outcomes and Practice Advancement, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, will examine whether GLP-1 receptor agonist medications may reduce alcohol-related health events among people with alcohol use disorder. Using a large national electronic health record database, the researchers will evaluate outcomes and use AI-based methods to identify which patients may benefit most while assessing whether findings are equitable across diverse populations.

“This research provides the opportunity to explore whether medications already used for other conditions may have benefits for people with alcohol use disorders,” added Islam. ”If we can better understand who is most likely to benefit, we can help build the evidence needed for more targeted and equitable treatment strategies.”

CAAIR will continue engaging community members as AI-driven approaches to substance use research, treatment and education are developed and evaluated. Together, the Community Engagement Studio and Pilot Studies Program reflect the center’s commitment to ensuring that innovation is informed by community voices and grounded in the realities of addiction treatment and recovery.

“AI holds great promise for understanding and treating alcohol and substance misuse,” says Craig Colder, co-director of CAAIR and a SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at UB. “CAAIR is thrilled to support projects that apply this technology to one of today’s most significant public health challenges.”