Elevating Social Sciences, Elevating Lives Through AI
Bill Rand's Impact on Businesses, Communities, and Society
Bill Rand, director of Poole’s Business Analytics and AI Initiative (BAI), received the 2025 Alumni Association Outstanding Research Award. His research focuses on modeling intellectual abilities through artificial intelligence, aiming to benefit businesses, communities, and cultures. Rand’s work has the potential to inspire meaningful change by applying AI beyond traditional boundaries.
“I look around at the world and see something happening and wonder why it happens the way it does. And then I think, how can we improve it?” Rand explains. His recent award supports mentoring fellow professors to enhance their research fields. Rand is among four NC State professors honored with this award and inducted into the university’s Research Leadership Academy.
Rand is particularly interested in applying NC State’s research strengths to social sciences, an area often overlooked in business schools. He is only the second Poole professor selected for the academy, highlighting his unique contributions.
Leading the Business Analytics and AI Initiative
Under Rand’s leadership, Poole’s undergraduate business analytics program ranks No. 1 in North Carolina and No. 10 among U.S. public universities, according to the 2025 U.S. News & World Report. Additionally, Poole’s online business analytics MBA program is ranked eighth nationwide. As co-chair of the university’s AI advisory group, Rand leads the research subgroup focused on generative AI tools that create images, videos, and text.
Through the Research Leadership Academy, Rand promotes research and faculty mentoring across campus. He challenges the misconception that business schools don’t contribute significantly to scientific research. “The research Poole is doing contributes just as much to the overall notion of science as what comes out of the physical sciences or engineering,” he states.
Rand uses computational modeling to simulate real-world situations that affect data-driven decision-making. His research spans consumer behavior and broader societal impacts, such as public health initiatives.
Practical Applications in Health and Society
One of Rand’s projects involves HIV prevention, collaborating with Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. Using techniques developed in business research, Rand and the BAI team assist Kenyan doctors in identifying women at high risk of HIV. These methods help medical professionals educate patients about serious illnesses more effectively.
Addressing AI’s Shortcomings
Rand is also examining the challenges posed by AI, such as misinformation or “hallucinations” in generative AI outputs. His research investigates whether mandatory AI attribution might cause users to shirk responsibility for content accuracy. “If it’s wrong, it’s AI’s fault, not their fault,” he notes, highlighting a potential accountability issue.
Another focus is on AI algorithmic biases that appear in sectors like employment and education. “Historically humans are biased, and AI can reproduce those biases,” Rand explains. He advocates for companies to demand algorithmic accountability and transparency to protect consumers.
The Business Analytics and AI Initiative’s Influence
Launched five years ago, the BAI coordinates cross-disciplinary academic programs at Poole, including master’s degrees in marketing analytics and risk analytics, and an undergraduate concentration in business analytics. New programs are in development, such as a business analytics concentration for economics students and a graduate certificate in business AI.
The BAI attracts research funding, including support for Rand’s HIV prevention project, and hosts an annual roundtable involving students from business and computer science. The initiative fosters collaboration and innovation across departments.
Rand finds working with students the most fulfilling aspect of his role. “I really enjoy helping students understand how technology shapes the world around them. Spending time with them is amazing,” he says. “Poole students bring a lot of interest in entrepreneurship and innovation.”
His motivation stems from intellectual curiosity and a focus on how human behavior interacts with technological systems. Rand asks, “How do we build systems that encourage people to act differently, to create better companies or better societies?”
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