CU, NSF to partner on AI education institute

BOULDER — The U.S. National Science Foundation has tapped the University of Colorado to lead the creation of the National Science Foundation AI Institute for Student-AI Teaming.

The mission of the $20-million center will be to “explore the role that artificial intelligence may play in the future of education and workforce development — especially in providing new learning opportunities for students from historically underrepresented populations in Colorado and beyond,” according to a CU news release. 

Sidney D’Mello, a CU associate professor in the Institute of Cognitive Science and the Department of Computer Science, will lead the institute, which will spend the next five years bringing together university researchers, public school districts, community leaders and private companies to study new ways of educating students.

For example, CU computer science professor Tamara Sumner “will go to classrooms in Denver Public Schools and other school partners — virtually, during the age of COVID-19 — to work hand-in-hand with students and teachers to think up new technologies,” the release said. “The team will also work with its partners to develop new curricula for middle and high school students, preparing them to understand, critique and design new uses of AI.”

Higher education partners include Colorado State University; the University of California, Santa Cruz; UC Berkeley; Brandeis University; Worcester Polytechnic University; Georgia Institute of Technology; the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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