UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ­— Students, faculty, staff, community organizations and businesses who are curious about how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to reach their goals and solve real-world problems are invited to the 2023 “AI for Good Expo.”

The annual event, managed by the Nittany AI Alliance, is set for 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7, in Alumni Hall in the HUB-Robeson Center on Penn State's University Park campus.

Daren Coudriet, executive director of innovation for Penn State Outreach and the Nittany AI Alliance, said the event offers a chance to explore and discover innovative ways to use AI for good in areas of education, environment, health and humanitarianism.

"The ‘AI for Good Expo’ provides an opportunity for all the stakeholders in our ecosystem to come together and share thoughts, ideas, innovations and advancements resulting from the practical application of artificial intelligence to solve real-world problems,” Coudriet said. “Students, faculty, staff, industry partners and nonprofit organizations all come together in one event, each with different views and perspectives, making this a dynamic, must-attend event. I encourage all who are curious about how AI might help them advance their goals to attend." 

The keynote speaker for the “AI For Good Expo” is Christopher Wood, executive director and co-founder of LGBT Technology Partnership and Institute, an organization working to bridge the technology gap for LGBTQ+ individuals. Wood's work has been driven by the experience of surviving a hostage situation involving a suicide bomber when he was 25 years old.

“That was a life-changing moment for me and what it showed me was that anything is possible. There are very few things that can’t be undone, one of them is death. But, there’s a whole world and beyond where we are headed with technology, so the opportunities are endless,” Wood said.

He said he hopes to inspire others to find their passion to make the world a better place at the ‘AI for Good Expo.”

“Sure, the technology is the tool that we use to achieve the things we want, but ultimately it comes down to the drive inside each of us and finding your North Star to be able to achieve the goals you want, and also make the change you want to see in the world,” Wood said. “When we're talking about AI for good, it creates an opportunity for this next generation to go out and create a difference.”

The event will kick off by showcasing and celebrating the accomplishments of the Nittany AI Alliance programs and offer an opportunity to meet representatives from companies developing AI for good. Industry leaders and collaborators for the “AI for Good Expo” will be present to discuss advancements of AI in their respective industries, including BEA Systems, Cranium, John Deere, Leidos and Lockheed Martin.

Additionally, the winners of the 2023 Nittany AI Challenge will be announced from the following eight teams that made it to the final phase, where they were required to build a minimum viable product:

• Achievify: a career trajectory and exploration tool for underserved communities created by leveraging machine learning and natural language processing, in tandem with diverse backgrounds, expertise, advocacy and real community voices.
• OfferPilot.ai: a solution to help students find and secure entry-level positions, from building a perfect, tailored resume to cover letters.
• Oris: empowering medical volunteers with AI technology for improved oral disease detection and classification in low-income communities.
• Storio: an AI-powered conversational application designed for children and families.
• Therapeutrack: an application that helps therapists and mental health patients keep track of their mental health journey.
• TransferMaster: a cutting-edge AI solution used to accelerate and reduce the cost of the transfer credit process at large universities like Penn State.
• Trinity: a portable, modular AI-based smart device that measures, predicts and is the basis of the framework for managing the potability of water sources.
• TutorAI: an accessible and affordable tutor for all students, whenever a student needs one.

Visit the Nittany AI Alliance website to register to attend the “AI for Good Expo” and learn more about the Nittany AI Alliance programs and events.

The Nittany AI Alliance, a unit of Penn State Outreach, provides students with unique opportunities to help prepare them to lead in a world shaped by artificial intelligence by immersing them in project-based experiences that bring together companies seeking strategic AI collaborations, faculty working on innovative AI research, and staff looking to address higher education process pain points using AI.