UW HOSTS COMPUTING AND AI SYMPOSIUM
The School of Computing wrapped up its third annual computing symposium on Friday. The event, which took place from September 25 to 26, focused on AI in Wyoming industries.
The event brought together industry leaders from NASA, Google and independent tech companies. These leaders discussed how AI can be used to elevate Wyoming industries like agriculture, rural medicine, wildlife management, energy and more.
This event comes as UW makes a string of hirings of computing staff who emphasize AI in their research.
“Well one, the School of Computing, the first round of joint hires that we did was Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and big data,” said Judy Yates, administrative associate for the School of Computing. “And so, every single one of our joint faculty knows AI and utilizes that application in their research.”
The symposium aimed to highlight the intersectionality of the uses of AI across various fields that are important to Wyoming. The University has recently been pushing to be at the forefront of these applications of AI. These applications include ones important to the University and others that would benefit Wyoming industries.
“The second [reason this event is focused on AI] is that because it reaches so many disciplines. There’s applications that you can use AI in; in health, in energy, in business, anything,” said Yates, “There’s also a university AI initiative going on and we just got a $9 million AI grant at the University level.”
To show these uses of AI, this event broke into sections including AI for agriculture; AI for WY; AI for Wildlife and Environment, and more. These hosted discussions, panels and talks by leaders in the space including University of Wyoming Professors.
“I think that we’re at the forefront with certain aspects [of AI], like the School of Computing’s interdisciplinary aspect,” said Yates. “We’re definitely on the forefront of that, and having so many joint faculty utilizing their skills, not only in computing, but also in zoo-phis and anthropology and physics and astronomy and math-sats.”
AI is moving fast, and education and industries are both running to catch up. To ban it entirely seems ineffective and dangerous, but the question of how to ensure ethical use in the education space remains at the forefront of people’s minds.
This event also focused on this, inviting professors from UW, Laramie County Community College, Iowa State, and others.
“I think that artificial intelligence is a very useful tool for education,” said lead instructor of Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science at LCCC, Trevor Swarm. “I employ a mindset of learning about AI, by teaching with AI, or learning about anything with teaching with AI.”
Swarm made sure to say that AI should be used as a tool, not a replacement for human work, and that ethical considerations must be made when utilizing AI. The results of AI tools must be something that the student would come up with regardless.
“I think almost any subject matter can be enhanced when AI tools are properly incorporated. By that, I mean that you have to keep humans in the loop,” said Swarm.
The attendees at this event seemed to acknowledge a lot of the downsides of these industries from job loss to environmental and ethical concerns.
“I think that the bad stuff can happen regardless, so it’s better that the large majority of people know about it and what it can do and what it can’t do and are knowledgeable, and that they are good stewards of it,” said Yates.
AI seems an inevitable and increasingly unavoidable part of our world. This could be reflected in any new technological innovation. Like with cell phones and the printing press, this change seemed inevitable but damaging. Swarm believes the solutions in the long term will outweigh the initial damages.
“The more I study, the more I feel better about it… and I believe AI will solve some environmental problems,” said Swarm, “I think it will solve some security problems and provide us better tools to deal with the world there.”
As the AI storm continues to grow, UW tries to ride and harness the storm rather than being swept away.
