Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, along with the University of Washington and George Mason University, will co-chair an Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) 2019 symposium on “AI for the Social Good” in Washington, D.C. from November 7-9, 2019. The symposium will highlight responsible AI in healthcare and AI in humanitarian relief and development as two specific disciplines where AI could be used for social good.

“There is a significant gap in the understanding of the positive impact of AI in today’s society. While several groups are bullish about their impact, the propensity of its rapid growth has also been met with fear,” said Ankur Teredesai, a University of Washington professor and co-founder & CTO of KenSci, which is sponsoring the symposium. “The AAAI symposium on AI for the Social Good is a great way to showcase the assistive nature of AI and how it augments several key decisions that are being made for the betterment of today’s society.”

The symposium is co-chaired by Muhammad Aurangzeb Ahmad at the University of Washington, Hemant Purohit at George Mason University, and Oshani Seneviratne at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

“Rensselaer recognizes the importance of ensuring that artificial intelligence is used to improve our daily lives in many aspects, including health and well-being, as well as in humanitarian technologies,” said James Hendler, Rensselaer Tetherless World Professor of Computer, Web and Cognitive Sciences, and the director of the IBM-RPI Artificial Intelligence Research Collaboration. “We’re pleased to contribute and hope that our work advances the goals of the symposium.”

The symposium includes several keynote speeches and panels featuring thought leaders from these domains as well as research presentations from peer-reviewed submissions to the symposium. The symposium will also have breakout sessions where the audience will have the opportunity to discuss important challenges and advances in AI for social good.

Founded in 1979, and formerly known as the American Association for Artificial Intelligence, AAAI is a nonprofit scientific society devoted to advancing the scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying thought and intelligent behavior and their embodiment in machines. AAAI aims to promote research in, and responsible use of, artificial intelligence. AAAI also aims to increase public understanding of artificial intelligence, improve the teaching and training of AI practitioners, and provide guidance for research planners and funders concerning the importance and potential of current AI developments and future directions.

More information about the symposium is available at http://ai-for-socialgood.github.io