How can AI summarize and translate text more accurately? What makes chatbots and voice assistants feel more or less human? How do people actually produce spoken and signed language—and how do AI algorithms account for different dialects? How can we make AI accessible for users of any language? If you’ve been thinking about these types of questions about language and technology—and you want to use AI to help people communicate more effectively—keep reading about this unique major.
You’ll start by studying the relationship between AI and society, as well as the basics of AI technologies, which will enable you to build AI tools designed by society, for society. After these classes—as well as some technical courses in calculus and computer science—you’ll explore how language works, how languages differ from each other, how computers process and generate language, and how AI systems can be designed to support language users of all kinds. The program culminates with a capstone course involving a real-world challenge where you can apply the skills that you have learned as part of a team of students.
It’s easy to get involved, make friends and try new things at UB.
Internships, co-ops and experiential learning. Check out all of the hands-on experiences here, including coding competitions, opportunities to help people with their language skills, and much more.
Research. UB is a national leader in AI, which means more ways for students to contribute to real-world research involving language and AI.
Student groups. Hang out with other students who share your interests in language and technology—or try something completely different.
Study abroad. If you want a fresh perspective on language (and technology), consider spending a break or a full semester in a different country.
With expertise in language as well as AI technologies, you can explore a variety of career paths, including (but certainly not limited to):
These types of jobs are available at many different types of organizations, including research institutes, start-up companies, global corporations, universities, governments and more. And because this is one of the fastest-growing fields, you’ll likely find even more careers evolving during your time at UB.
While many of these jobs will likely continue to be in high demand, you can also choose to get an advanced degree if you want to keep learning.
One of the best things about this major is that you get to interact with experts in so many different fields, from AI and computing to linguistics, ethics, cultural biases and more. Professors from different areas will bring their own perspectives about how AI can be used for social good, which means you get a better understanding of the different factors involved and how they intersect.
While many of our faculty are highly accomplished researchers and scholars, they also love being in the classroom. They’ve been recognized for how well they connect with students and have received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching as well as the UB Teaching Innovation Award.
When they’re not teaching, our faculty are often publishing their work in top linguistics journals, presenting their research as invited speakers at leading conferences, writing book chapters, or working on projects that advance our understanding of how AI tools can help us explore the properties of language and support diverse language users.