image: Raissa D'Souza, acting director of the new UC Davis Center for AI in Engineering. D'Souza is also Associate Dean of Research in the College of Engineering and Professor in the Departments of Computer Science and of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
Credit: UC Davis College of Engineering
The University of California, Davis, College of Engineering has established a new center focused on artificial intelligence, or AI. The UC Davis AI Center in Engineering will work to leverage AI for the betterment of humanity and the planet through advancements in foundational research, translational applications and educational efforts.
"College of Engineering faculty have long been leaders in artificial intelligence research and education," said Dean Richard L. Corsi. "Our AI center will serve as a catalyst for existing and exciting new efforts that support our commitment to engineering solutions and accessible technologies that improve the quality of life for all."
Raissa M. D'Souza, associate dean for research in the College of Engineering and professor of computer science and mechanical and aerospace engineering, leads the center alongside co-director Dipak Ghosal, Bucher Family Chair and professor of computer science. Faculty representatives from the college's eight academic departments serve on an advisory board that will champion the newly established center's growth and development.
Collaboration is inherent to the new center's mission, which aims to leverage engineering faculty expertise across 10 key research areas and build strategic partnerships throughout UC Davis and with industry partners and policymakers.
"AI is transforming the world around us at lightning speed, and UC Davis engineers are building the innovations fueling the revolution," said D'Souza. "Our center will accelerate that innovation and partner with stakeholders across campus and beyond to ensure that the needs of humanity and the planet are front and center."
Foundations of AI are a priority among the center's research focuses. Faculty experts will also work on transformational applications that align with the College of Engineering's strategic research vision and ongoing UC Davis efforts, including Grand Challenges, Center for AI and Experimental Futures, AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems and DataLab.
In addition to AI research, the center will align educational and entrepreneurship-focused initiatives to prepare students as the next generation of leaders in a rapidly changing world. Among those efforts is "Artificial Intelligence for All," a new course that will provide a comprehensive introduction to AI and opportunities for in-depth discussion of its ethical and societal implications. Additional courses and online degree and certificate programs are expected to emerge from the center's collaborative work.
"The AI Center in Engineering will foster new educational initiatives, incubate innovation and accelerate entrepreneurship based on foundational and multidisciplinary research," said Ghosal, who has held the Prem Chand Jain Family Presidential Chair for Innovation and Entrepreneurship since 2020.
Outreach and events are another focus of the center, which will host its inaugural distinguished AI speaker, Microsoft's Chief Scientist Eric Horvitz, in January 2025. Forums on topics such as AI and ethics, pedagogy and regulatory frameworks are also being developed in collaboration with campus and industry partners.
"We must ensure AI is integrated into the core UC mission in a sustainable, ethical and equitable manner as it transforms research, teaching and administration," said D'Souza. "This center is a hub to bring together all the different voices that must be part of that conversation."