How the Nittany Artificial Intelligence Alliance is aiming to solve real-world problems – The Daily Collegian Online

Artificial intelligence was initially conceptualized in the 1950s and has garnered strong potential for innovation in the 21st century, according to Harvard University. Today, AI is predicted to impact nearly every industry across the world.

Thats why one Penn State organization is seeking to offer students hands-on experiences in AI to create real-world solutions to problems.

The Nittany AI Alliance is approaching its fourth year as an organization with a new initiative called AI For Good, which focuses on the use of technology to help others. Students have been working diligently throughout the pandemic with projects and internships to create innovative solutions to problems across the world, according to Daren Coudriet, the executive director for the Nittany AI Alliance and Innovation for Penn State Outreach.

We challenged ourselves and said because were part of outreach, we should be helping our communities in some way, Coudriet said.

Coudriet said the initiative was inspired by the organizations position with university outreach, hoping to be a guiding force in the community. At the beginning of the year, four pillars were established under the initiative, including health, education, sustainability and humanitarianism.

AI is commonly used for problem-solving, as the technology can be used to perform nearly any programmed function. According to Coudriet, the organization is trying to hone in on the problem-solving aspect to make a difference in peoples lives.

The Alliance is not restricted to students in the College of Information Sciences and Technology or at University Park, however, as Coudriet believes AI will impact every field in the future. He said students across many disciplines have participated and thrived in the organizations projects and competitions.

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Its crazy when you start thinking about how it impacts every single industry how we live, how we work, Coudriet said. Its really going to change our world. Im hoping its for the better, but you dont really know till it plays out.

Three phases have been established to integrate students into the program, beginning with a discussion and information series known as Inspire. Coudriet said upcoming fall events will feature an expert on each of the AI For Good pillars at a virtual discussion.

Its to inspire students to take action and learn more about how this technology could help in these areas and get involved, Coudriet said.

The second step is the Nittany AI Challenge, which the organization was initially born out of in 2017. The Challenge takes place over a series of months, and it tasks students with developing real-world solutions through AI for the chance to receive a cash prize.

Brad Zdenek, the innovation strategist for Nittany AI Alliance, said this years challenge has been expanded to focus on the groups initiative.

The project begins every January, when students pool ideas together and teams are selected to create prototypes. Following approval in April, 10 student teams were chosen to continue working through the summer to create a minimal viable product.

Zdenek said $25,000 of the total $50,000 available for the challenge has already been awarded, and decisions on how to distribute the rest of the money will be made in September by a group of 60 people.

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In the past, Zdenek said teams have used the money in several different ways. Some students choose to bring their products to Invent Penn State in order to find customers. Others wrap their projects up or continue researching to develop new ideas.

This year, students have developed solutions that have taken them across the globe. Zdenek said one team has used AI to empower local teachers in Kenya by improving school assessments to allow teachers more time to focus on engaging with their students.

This is where our students really shine, Zdenek said. I am a deep, deep believer in the fact that our students are going to be the ones to solve great technologies in the world. Not because we gave them the ideas, but because they have this innovative spirit.

The innovation doesnt stop there, either. The third step in the Alliances process of preparing students for a future in AI is an internship program called Nittany AI Associates.

The program operates throughout the school year with opportunities to engage in campus work, including in the Office of Admissions and the Office of Annual Giving. Even amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Nittany AI Associates program has sought positions for students to keep them innovating in the field.

Joel Seidel was one of the student interns, working with a Philadelphia-based transportation program, SEPTA Mobile, to track commute patterns through the pandemic.

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Using AI, Seidel (senior-information sciences and technology) said his team was able to find a correlation between teleworking and household income in the city. Wealthier individuals were more likely to transition to remote work, while blue-collar employees continued to rely on public transportation over the summer, according to the study.

It was a given that revenue in ridership is going to drop in the U.S. [during the pandemic]. Not every job is going to come back and be done in the office anymore, Seidel said.

Coudriet said the SEPTA project matched the organizations AI For Good initiative because a team of students were able to use their knowledge to help a business better plan for the future.

While the semester may shift some of the organizations goals, according to Zdenek, the Nittany AI Alliance has thrived throughout the pandemic. Coudriet said AI technology has seen an accelerating effect as more companies and clients have expressed a greater interest in it over the past several months.

I think the Nittany AI Alliance, as far as the Associates and challenge go, those models have gotten accelerated, Coudriet said.

Coudriet believes the AI For Good initiative will stick with the organization for the long run, as it has given them a new focus that aligns with their outreach mission. No matter how long the initiative lasts, however, the Nittany AI Alliance will continue to find opportunities for students across all disciplines and commonwealth campuses in an ever-changing field.

The hard work is theirs, but we can set a stage for them, Zdenek said.

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How the Nittany Artificial Intelligence Alliance is aiming to solve real-world problems - The Daily Collegian Online