NCSU, UNC create artificial intelligence institute with $20M federal grant

CHAPEL HILL – UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State are launching an initiative aiming to utilize artificial intelligence as an educational tool with $20 million in funding from the National Science Foundation. The Artificial Intelligence Institute for Engaged Learning was announced Thursday. The grant covers five years. Other partners include Indiana University and Vanderbilt University as well as Digital Promise, a non-profit. Here's how UNC says the institute will work: "The new institute will create a virtual environment with AI characters and analytical tools for educators to help foster a creative and communicative learning environment for students. Researchers will design a story-based environment where students can interact with engaging AI characters that communicate with speech, facial expression, posture and more. The analytical tools will allow educators to customize scenarios as needed, making a more tailored approach to individual students and their learning style and capability. All these educational AI tools will be informed by ethical considerations of fairness, accountability, transparency, trust and privacy."