The Center for AI Research 

Led by Distinguished Professor Grace Wang, the Center for AI Research provides the primary home for AI research initiatives at NJIT. New investments will ensure a coordinated approach to leveraging the opportunities of AI in education, research, operational excellence and infrastructure.

Wang is also an associate dean for research at Ying Wu College of Computing and the first woman at NJIT to become a fellow of the IEEE. She serves as the technology expert for a new committee to help New Jersey judges and lawyers understand AI’s role in the legal system.

The Future of AI

The Murray Center for Women in Technology held its annual Women Designing the Future Conference on March 22, 2024. “Intelligent Uses of Artificial Intelligence: Making Technology Work for All of Us” explored how generative AI will transform the way we learn, the way we earn (and how much), and, not least, the way we vote. Keynote speaker Jane Oates, a senior policy advisor at WorkingNation and a former assistant secretary of labor in the Obama administration, described the economic disruption that AI is likely to cause — both in terms of job losses and job gains — and explored the impact of AI on the healthcare, marketing and retail/e-commerce sectors. She identified the key skills essential for success in the new AI-inflected workplace, while expressing concerns about AI-enabled misinformation campaigns.

Data Science 

At Ying Wu College of Computing, Aritra Dasgupta, an assistant professor in the Department of Data Science, is the recipient of two collaborative National Science Foundation grants totaling approximately $2.8 million. The overarching theme of his projects will be designing and scrutinizing responsible AI solutions. Dasgupta directs NJIT’s Intelligible Information Visualization Lab. Associate Professor Usman Roshan, also in Data Science, is developing an AI-powered surgical training program. Working with colleagues from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Robust AI, a software company focused on AI-powered human activity recognition products, the program provides real-time feedback and instruction. In the same department, Associate Professor Hai Phan has been awarded a $740,000 grant through the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council to develop a trustworthy federated learning model addressing new standards for AI safety and security, as outlined in the White House’s Executive Order on Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence. The highly competitive award is one of 18 funded out of 500+ submissions.