Michael Littman, a professor of pc science, was named the inaugural Associate Provost for Synthetic Intelligence at Tuesday’s college assembly.
Littman will function an administrative chief for synthetic intelligence, creating institutional coverage and priorities on AI. A search for this new place was announced to school in late August for a three-year appointment.
Along with his professorship, Littman is co-director of Brown’s Humanity Centered Robotics Initiative and serves because the Division Director for Data and Clever Techniques on the Nationwide Science Basis.
“Michael brings to this position a robust legacy of labor in AI, together with training and interdisciplinary analysis, however he’s additionally turn into a number one spokesperson within the area,” College Provost Frank Doyle mentioned on the assembly.
“I’ve been finishing up AI analysis and educating AI for a long time and I used to be very excited after I bought phrase that the Provost was planning to create a university-wide place to coordinate AI efforts,” Littman wrote in an electronic mail to The Herald.
In response to his website, Littman believes that public engagement with synthetic intelligence and computing is essential to a wholesome society.
“It’s actually vital to me that Brown make applicable use of AI, which I see as being discerning between useful and dangerous situations,” he wrote in an electronic mail to The Herald.
Regardless of the seriousness of the problem, he sometimes takes a “lighthearted strategy to science communication, utilizing parody songs and humor to attach with the sense of playfulness that’s important to artistic drawback fixing,” his web site reads.
Littman can be an creator. His guide, “Code to Pleasure: Why Everybody Ought to Study a Little Programming” was revealed final yr.
He beforehand served because the chair of the pc science division at Rutgers college.
“I hope you all share my pleasure about what Michael will be capable to do to work with us, to drag the campus collectively and perceive in a accountable means how we navigate these waters with the thrilling potentialities that AI gives for analysis, for educating, and for operations on the college,” Doyle mentioned.
“I’m very obsessed with speaking about AI and computing,” Littman wrote. “However I additionally know that artistic individuals throughout campus have been developing with ingenious methods of utilizing AI of their work and I sit up for listening to what’s working, what’s not, and sharing nice concepts.”
The college announcement can be launched on Thursday.
Cate Latimer is a senior employees author masking college and better training. She is from Portland, OR, and research English and City Research. In her free time, yow will discover her taking part in final frisbee or rewatching episodes of Parks and Rec.