Six SUNY schools launch $900,000 AI education initiative
Binghamton University and five partner institutions are launching a three-year program to train students in artificial intelligence fundamentals, workforce applications, and ethical considerations. The Advancing AI for the Public Good initiative includes a free online microcredential and funded summer research positions.
The program addresses a SUNY-wide effort to build AI capacity, particularly at community colleges and comprehensive universities across New York. Binghamton is partnering with SUNY Cortland, SUNY Delhi, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Oneonta, Broome Community College, and Tompkins Cortland Community College.
What the program includes
The free AI Prep for Careers microcredential introduces foundational AI concepts without requiring credit hours or tuition. Students learn how AI applies to specific industries and explore ethical implications of the technology.
A 10-week summer research program fully funds student participants with a $6,000 stipend, housing, and travel. This removes financial barriers that typically prevent lower-income students from accessing research opportunities.
Partner institutions receive funding to develop AI-focused activities tailored to their needs and student populations.
The research component
The initiative includes hands-on research opportunities for students and faculty. Binghamton is simultaneously establishing the New York Center for AI Responsibility and Research, positioning itself as a hub for ethical AI research across the SUNY system.
The center will focus on three areas: developing technical innovations for AI safety and security, recruiting and retaining researchers and faculty, and integrating with the Empire AI consortium's computational resources.
Why critical thinking matters
AI systems can generate inaccurate information and false outputs-a phenomenon researchers call "hallucinations." The program emphasizes teaching students to evaluate AI-generated content critically rather than accepting it at face value.
Shanise Kent, Associate Provost and Director of Workforce Development at Binghamton, said the goal extends beyond training AI specialists. "We want students to learn how to use these tools responsibly and ethically in the workplace," she said.
Nearly every career field will intersect with AI in some form. The program prepares students to understand how the technology affects their industry and how to apply it responsibly.
What counts as AI
AI encompasses more than the chatbots people interact with daily. Robotics, self-driving vehicles, computer vision systems, and backend decision-making algorithms all fall under the umbrella.
Kuang-Ching Wang, SUNY Professor of Empire Innovation and Director of the School of Computing, said the definition matters. "It's about using AI not just to build new tools but to improve how systems function in society," he said. "That includes everything from transportation to healthcare to policy-making."
Recent advances in generative AI have made the technology visible to the public. But AI has been evolving for decades, working quietly in background systems that process massive amounts of data to make predictions and automate decisions.
Next steps and expansion
The initiative is in early stages, but funding is now in place. Kent said the team is already exploring additional funding sources, including potential support from the National Science Foundation.
The goal is to identify best practices in the first three years, then use those findings to expand both the research and workforce development components. The program will evolve alongside the technology itself.
For researchers and academics, the initiative offers both AI Research Courses through its hands-on component and exposure to Generative AI and LLM Courses through its foundational curriculum.
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