CUNY announced that it will award $3 million for 113 new artificial intelligence initiatives through its AI Innovation Fund on March 12.

The AI Innovation Fund is a one-year program focused on four core initiatives aiming to develop AI in courses, advance academic support for students, address the social implications of AI and advance AI education and literacy.

The first initiative will support students with essential writing, tutoring, mental health and wellness and career readiness.

 At Brooklyn College, AI will  help analyze trends to address patterns of food security as an ongoing issue for students.

The CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy will have an AI navigator to provide students with mental health resources, legal support and access to health insurance information.

The second initiative will implement AI in new or updated courses. 

Students at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice will have access to public and premium AI models through secure websites without incurring expenses. 

At Borough of Manhattan Community College, a new introductory computing course will train faculty to become AI faculty fellows, who will advocate for AI use and mentor adjunct faculty members.

The third initiative focuses on the ethical and social implications of AI in education. 

A 12-week course will launch at LaGuardia Community College to educate students on AI use by having them analyze legal correspondence requests in order to better serve incarcerated individuals. 

The CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies will also create a multi-step strategy focused on developing AI policy for the ethical use of AI.

The last initiative will create programs focusing on developing a deeper level of understanding of AI for both students and faculty. 

This will take place in schools such as Hostos Community College, the CUNY School of Law, Medgar Evers College and Guttman Community College.

The investment also includes the establishment of the CUNY AI Lab, located at the CUNY Graduate Center, which will be used to develop tools for teaching, research and translation needs.

“The CUNY AI Innovation Fund will harness artificial intelligence while safeguarding academic integrity and equity,” CUNY Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez said in a press release.