FROM THE DEAN

The perception of how humans interact with AI is changing, placing people at the center of every conversation.

While respecting and safeguarding against its potential threats and misuse, the future of AI holds boundless promise. From revolutionizing healthcare and personalized medicine to enhancing education accessibility and transforming industry through automation, AI has the potential to reshape our world for the better. It is the Industrial Revolution of our time.

Within SCS and across CMU, our researchers and students stand at the forefront of pioneering technologies that not only push the boundaries of innovation but also prioritize ethical considerations and societal impact. As AI is applied to nearly every field, new avenues for growth and discovery open up. The addition of AI tools to new fields not only changes how we approach that field, but also allows for the development of new AI tools and concepts, which we can then apply to other fields in new ways.

As AI continues to evolve, so must our efforts to ensure that these technologies are deployed with consideration for their broader implications. We remain actively engaged in interdisciplinary research initiatives that explore the ethical, legal and social dimensions of AI, working closely with policymakers, industry leaders and community stakeholders to establish guidelines and frameworks for responsible AI development and deployment.

At CMU, it’s often difficult to discuss the specifics of AI because the topic itself is too broad here. We utilize AI across so many aspects of our university.

In this issue of The LINK, you will find articles that detail a few areas of AI application in SCS, as well as efforts to safeguard humans. The cover story on AI and Elections informs us about the potential threats and safeguards we are building to ensure the structures of our democracy are not corrupted by fraud, from internal threats and those coming from outside the U.S. I hope you’ll also read the article on how AI has already changed scientific discovery and will continue to do so in ways we have yet to fully comprehend. Vincent Conitzer, professor in our Computer Science Department, has co-written a wonderful book entitled Moral AI, which inspired the article about how we ought to be thinking about the protections we set up to ensure the safety, fairness and equity of AI systems. I hope you enjoy reading about this profound work.

Moreover, CMU remains dedicated to educating the next generation of AI practitioners and leaders who not only possess technical expertise but also a deep understanding of the ethical responsibilities associated with AI. Through our rigorous curriculum and hands-on research opportunities, we empower our students to become ethical stewards of AI, equipped to address complex challenges and drive positive change in society — now and for the future.