The University of South Carolina announced plans last week to open an artificial intelligence institute that give students and faculty a shared space for interdisciplinary collaboration. The institute, which the university hopes to have running by this fall, will focus on research to advance AI applications across a wide range of industries, Hossein Haj-Hariri, dean of the College of Engineering and Computing, told EdScoop. "[Industries] are already being transformed or will be transformed by artificial intelligence," Haj-Hariri said. "The window where we can really lead the injection of research into application areas is open," he said. To drive innovation and develop cutting-edge solutions using AI, the institute will draw on the knowledge and experience of students and faculty from all 15 colleges across the university's campus, making it a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration.

The University of South Carolina wants to start working smarter. Later this summer, the school will open an institute dedicated to studying and developing artificial intelligence, which is sometimes abbreviated AI, the school announced Tuesday. The institute aims to use its AI research to help develop "self-improving" and customized programs for social workers, pharmacists, teachers and more, the release said. To do that, "The AI Institute plans to enlist philosophers, ethicists, public policy experts, and lawyers dedicated to exploring the societal impact of AI technology, both the good and the unintended negative outcomes," the release said. "For example, some have expressed concern that autonomous vehicles could soon put tens of thousands of truck drivers out of work."