Outreach & Public Engagement
Our public outreach strategy ensures that the benefits and knowledge of human-centric AI are broadly accessible to communities and the public at large. To achieve this reach, we are actively building on existing leadership programs for students and forming deep connections with the communities that serve our partners. We encourage discourse on hot topics in AI and data science by collaborating with organizations like public libraries and community centers, leveraging them as vital community resources to engage with the general public. In addition, our seminar series provides an accessible platform for both leading researchers and the general public to engage in crucial dialogue on the ethical and societal direction of AI. By integrating these efforts, the Institute is committed to fostering an AI-literate society and ensuring the technology serves the public good.
Building Communities
In addition to building a culture of innovation within the institute, we foster a strong community through AI training, leadership, and networking efforts via programs like AI4all, AI Scholars, OurCS at CMU, Changemakers in Computing at UW, Bridge Programs at PSU, L.E.A.P. at Navajo Tech as well as WiDS, WiML, and WiNS.
We build deep connections and promote AI literacy through local events and forums held in partnership with academic and community institutions. These engagement efforts are centered around critical themes designed to ensure AI is developed responsibly and inclusively. We facilitate discussions and showcase research on human-centric AI, focusing on how AI can be responsibly applied to address specific needs within communities in areas like cultural preservation, community resilience, and local entrepreneurship. These accessible spaces for dialogue and collaboration are key opportunities to promote access to education on AI and for co-design with community members, students, and the public to ensure that the innovations we develop serve all people.
Public Engagement
We partner with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and other libraries to host public-facing talks and workshops on AI advancements, applications, and ethical considerations. To further bolster this outreach, we also participate in an annual professional development day for library staff. This effort ensures librarians across all branches are aware of the latest advances, information, and resources on AI, enabling them to better support their patrons and the broader community.
Complementing our in-person efforts is our student-run podcast, AI IRL: Real Talk with Real Experts. This series features interviews with leading AI and social science experts, tackling complex topics in an accessible way to make AI understandable for everyone. The podcast provides an accessible platform for the general public to engage with the latest research and discussions on the societal role of artificial intelligence.
Seminar Series
Our ongoing seminar series is designed to foster a dynamic exchange of ideas at the intersection of AI and societal decision making. We regularly host leading scholars, researchers, and practitioners who present cutting-edge work on human-centric AI, ethics, policy, and decision science as they apply to real-world challenges in areas like public health and disaster management.
While these seminars offer deep technical and theoretical insights for faculty, students, and staff, they are also open to the general public and any community members interested in the societal impacts of AI. We encourage all attendees, regardless of background, to join the conversation to build a broader understanding of how AI is shaping the world and to contribute diverse perspectives on its responsible development.
Details regarding past and future seminars can be found on our Events calendar. Subscribe to our public email list below to receive timely reminders and updates on upcoming seminars.
This project is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under award number 2229881. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation. More information on the National AI Research Institutes can be found at aiinstitutes.org.