Alabama Center for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence

ALA AI strives to position UA as a leading force in national AI research, development, and education. Our vision encompasses assuming a leadership role within the community by promoting the adoption of AI technology.

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Join ALA AI

The University of Alabama’s Department of Computer Science, in collaboration with the College of Engineering, will support ALA AI’s mission to enhance AI expertise across multiple domains. To bolster these efforts, the Department will add multiple open-rank faculty positions, further strengthening the center’s leadership in AI research and education. Please apply for the appropriate ranks: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Full Professor!

Research Mission

The future is coming; AI is changing our relationship with knowledge, impacting our worldviews, reshaping industries, and changing society and politics as profoundly as in the Age of Enlightenment. To address the potential impacts of artificial intelligence, it is crucial for The University of Alabama, as the state's leading academic institution, to promptly establish a community that facilitates discussions, research, and education on pertinent AI topics.

AI education is an absolute necessity in today's rapidly advancing technological landscape. It is imperative that individuals acquire an understanding of AI principles and develop the skills to use them properly to unlock new possibilities and enhance existing job roles.

Creating an AI community that represents all of our citizens and communities while also promoting collaborations between universities and industries is vital for the ethical development of AI technologies.

Center Updates

Our collaboration with UAB Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Areum Han, PhD, OTR/L, received a National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute on Aging (NIA) R21 award ($418K, 2024-2026) to adapt and pilot test an AI-enabled web app based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for family caregivers of people with dementia. We will develop a mobile app and integrate cutting-edge AI modules to empower telehealthcare in underserved communities!

September 21, 2024

The University of Alabama’s Department of Computer Science, in collaboration with the College of Engineering, will support ALA AI’s mission to enhance AI expertise across multiple domains.

September 18, 2024

ALA AI is honored to join national efforts in establishing the NIST AI for Resilient Manufacturing Institute. Led by Case Western Reserve University, ALA AI will co-lead the RIGOR (Resilient Intelligence with Graphs, Ontologies, and Reasoning for Manufacturing) initiative.

August 20, 2024

Dr. Jiaqi Gong, Director of ALA AI, was awarded two grants ($760K in total, 2024-2026) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH) to develop AI tools for flood storytelling and enhance flood resilience education.

July 12, 2024

Representing ALA AI, Dr. Gong presented the center’s vision, “Alabama to the World: Pioneering AI for Rural Resilience,” at the AI@AU Forum, highlighting the critical role of AI in advancing rural resilience.

April 3, 2024

See More Center Updates

-    The University of Alabama     |     The College of Engineering    -

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