PennWest Artificial Intelligence Launch Center

With an eye toward preparing its students for the future, Pennsylvania Western University is launching the PennWest Center for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies.

The center will open next spring and serve as a hub to prepare students, employees and community partners in the adoption and innovative use of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies.

“We realized that when it comes to artificial intelligence or related technologies, if you’re not ahead, you’re behind,” said Dr. James Fisher, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. “AI is fundamentally changing the way we think about work, but also what it would mean to be a prepared graduate in the 21st century. This is not an education; it is something that is relevant to every student in any field. Whatever you do, we feel strongly that AI will have an impact on your life and work.”

A physical office will be located on the PennWest Edinboro campus, but opportunities for dialogue and collaboration will exist on all three PennWest campuses, including Edinboro, California and Clarion, and Global Online.

“Just as PennWest is a regional resource, we’re going to make sure the center is a regional resource,” Fisher said.

The center will assist educators by helping them navigate the transformative impact of AI and emerging technologies on education by providing tools, knowledge and training to integrate AI into their teaching. This in turn aims to help students become skilled, adaptable, and career-ready users of AI. In addition, the center will stimulate dialogue and thought leadership to address the economic, ethical, cultural, educational, political and legal challenges posed by AI.

“We realized it was time to make sure that we integrate this into all the different things that we do at the university to help the students, but also to serve Western Pennsylvania,” Fisher said. “We can meet a need for communities in Western Pennsylvania to help them respond to the transformations in technology.”

Collaboration with community partners, such as schools, nonprofits, government and industry, will help meet the challenges and opportunities of an AI-driven future.

Dr. Camille Dempsey, associate professor of education at the Edinboro campus, will serve as the center’s inaugural director.

Dempsey, a nationally known expert and consultant in AI and education technology, is a Faculty Research Fellow in Artificial Intelligence through the International Society of Technology in Education and an EDSAFE AI Alliance Catalyst Fellow. She is also a Google Women Ambassador, Google AI Mastermind for Women, and a Google Educator Group leader.

“Our culture is changing,” Dempsey said. “Technology is rapidly advancing many things. In challenges and opportunities. It’s important that people have skills and some idea of ​​where to go for work.

“AI is by far the most powerful technological change we have ever experienced. We need to prepare students. We need to give our students skills. We need to help them navigate some of the critical questions they will face with AI. Employers increasingly expect students to have these skills. That’s why it’s so important that we involve companies and other partners, so we can ensure we meet the needs of all types of companies and organizations.”

Such centers have popped up at some of the more nationally known universities like Yale, but it appears to be a newer program at a regional public university like PennWest.

“There are centers with AI labs where they are building robots,” Dempsey said. “Our reach is much greater. We support teachers and staff. I’ve never seen anyone develop a center like ours. It’s quite exciting. It is a unique situation.”

Dempsey said one school district in the region has already expressed interest in partnering with PennWest downtown.

“That is really necessary so that our schools can delve into what ethical, ethical AI is and how we can use it responsibly,” Dempsey said.