In the midst of Cornell's funding woes – think $250 million in frozen grants and another $80 million in limbo – it's refreshing to see the university doubling down on its AI initiative. Launched back in 2021, this isn't some pie-in-the-sky dream; it's a pragmatic pivot to three solid pillars: research, education, and even sprucing up admin workflows. As Provost Kavita Bala puts it, they're all about 'AI on tap, not AI on top' – meaning, let's harness this tech without letting it hijack our brains.
Take research: Cornell's blending AI wizards with sociologists, ethicists, and policymakers to tackle everything from sustainable materials to medical miracles. It's like assembling an Avengers team for science – not just coding algorithms, but questioning if they're fair and feasible in the real world. In a time when federal bucks are trickier to snag, this interdisciplinary mash-up could be the secret sauce for breakthroughs that attract private funding. Pragmatically speaking, why wait for Uncle Sam when you can innovate your way to relevance?
On the education front, they're pushing AI literacy beyond the tech bros, getting philosophers to Socratic-dialogue with chatbots and historians to weave it into curricula. Sure, it's a headache for profs worried about cheating, but imagine students graduating not just with degrees, but with the smarts to use AI ethically – like knowing when to fact-check a bot's wild ideas. It's not about replacing teachers; it's about arming everyone against the hype machine. And that motto? Gold. Keeps us grounded: AI as a tool, not the boss.
Then there's the admin angle – an AI lab churning out 30 to 60 projects to shave hours off mundane tasks. In a budget crunch, that's not flashy, but it's smart. Why bury staff in paperwork when generative AI can handle it in minutes? It's a cheeky reminder that even ivory towers need to hustle like startups.
Of course, none of this is without risks. With funding freezes biting, is Cornell betting too big on AI to plug the gaps, or is this the innovative edge that pulls them through? It's a pragmatic gamble: lean into tech that's reshaping everything, but keep the human oversight dialed in. For the rest of us, it's a nudge to think critically – how can we all tap AI without tipping over? In higher ed's stormy seas, Cornell's charting a course that's equal parts bold and believable. Source: SUN EXCLUSIVE: Kotlikoff, Bala Discuss Federal Funding, Ongoing Lawsuits, Artificial Intelligence
