What We Do
Community-Centered Innovation
We prioritize participatory design, ensuring community members help shape the AI tools intended to serve them from development through deployment in the areas of social work, public health, and related fields.
Research and Impact
Our projects use AI to tackle urgent public challenges like the overdose crisis, climate vulnerability, and social service access, with a focus on real-world implementation.
Education and Training
AI4SGS prepares the next generation of leaders in social work, public health, and technology, equipping them with the interdisciplinary skills to deploy AI ethically and for the good of society.
Policy Translation
We work to bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI research and actionable policy, turning community-informed data into tools for system-based change.
Projects in Action
AI4SGS builds on ongoing collaborative efforts across Columbia University. Our current and upcoming projects include:
AI Tools to Prevent Opioid Overdose
Modeling and predicting overdose risk to support harm reduction and community-based response strategies.
Publications
- Journal of Addiction Medicine: Artificial Intelligence and Stigma in Addiction Research: Insights From the HEALing Communities Study Coalition Meetings
- Implementation Science: The Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability (PRISM)-capabilities model for use of Artificial Intelligence in community-engaged implementation science research
Ethical AI for Public Health Equity
Developing and testing algorithms that prioritize fairness and mitigate bias in health and social service systems.
Community Data Platforms
Co-creating AI-driven dashboards and monitoring tools that amplify local needs and track social determinants of health.
Implementation Science Meets AI
Applying machine learning to scale evidence-based interventions in real-time community contexts
Leadership
AI4SGS is led by an interdisciplinary team with a shared commitment to equity and innovation:
- Dr. Nabila El-Bassel, University Professor and Director of the Social Intervention Group
- Professor Tian Zheng, Chair of the Columbia University Department of Statistics
- Dr. Maneesha Agrawal, Associate Vice President of Columbia University Information Technology
- James David, Senior Project Director for SIG and AI4SGS
- Research teams and faculty from SIG
- Faculty from Columbia School of Social Work, the Departments of Statistics and Computer Science, and others from around the university
They are joined by distinguished faculty and research partners across Columbia’s campuses who bring expertise in data science, health equity, ethics, and implementation research.
Why Now?
AI is rapidly reshaping our world but without intentional design, it risks reinforcing the very inequities we seek to eliminate. Now is the time to ensure that AI serves the public good. AI4SGS is building a transformative platform for innovation—one rooted in justice, humility, and real-world impact.