The AI for Social Good and Society Initiative at Columbia University School of Social Work’s Social Intervention Group is launching a new University Seminar exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can be developed, implemented, and governed to advance equity, accountability, and the public good. Co-led by Tian Zheng, Professor of Statistics in Arts and Sciences, and Nabila El-Bassel, University Professor and Director of the Social Intervention Group, the seminar will bring together scholars from across Columbia as well as experts from beyond the University.
A Cross-Campus Effort to Shape the Future of Ethical AI
The seminar, “AI for Social Good and Society,” takes a multidisciplinary approach to the topic, allowing thought leaders from social work, engineering, journalism, business, public health, computer science, and statistics backgrounds to share their expertise, as well as bringing in leaders from government, civil society, and industry. Participants will examine how emerging AI technologies can be used responsibly to address pressing social challenges from health equity and education to climate resilience and justice reform.
“AI has immense potential to benefit humanity, but only if its design and deployment are guided by ethical principles and grounded in diverse lived experiences,” said Dr. El-Bassel, who is also the Willma and Albert Musher Professor of Social Work and Director of the AI for Social Good and Society Initiative. “This seminar creates the space for that conversation.”
Interdisciplinary Dialogue and Collaboration
Through monthly sessions, the seminar will foster rigorous interdisciplinary dialogue on issues such as:
- Ethical AI governance and frameworks for accountability and transparency
- Equity and inclusion in AI research and design
- Community engagement and lived experience, ensuring technologies reflect and serve the people most affected by them
A Hub for Collaboration and Innovation
By bringing together faculty, researchers, and external partners from multiple disciplines and sectors, the “AI for Social Good and Society” seminar will serve as a hub for collaboration and innovation at the intersection of technology and humanity. Over time, this seminar will help shape institutional priorities, inform policy discussions, and inspire new research and educational programs that embed equity and social impact at the core of AI development.
“Columbia is uniquely positioned to lead on the social dimensions of AI,” said Dr. Zheng. “This effort builds bridges across disciplines to ensure that technological progress goes hand-in-hand with social responsibility.”