The present & the future: A tale of concrete examples

Becoming AI fluent

This new age of artificial intelligence at Ohio State has an official name: the AI Fluency initiative, part of President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr.’s Education for Citizenship 2035 strategic plan. 

Experts across the university—in health care, computer science, social work, music, dentistry, every field you can think of—are already using AI to supercharge their work. The results enable better education for students, novel treatments for patients and new realizations about the world around us. 

Beginning with the class of 2029, the university is equipping every graduate to be fluent in the application of AI, no matter their field. While not all disciplines are taking the same approach, here’s a common way many of the university’s programs will prepare students in AI over a four-year period:

Year One

The newly redesigned general education Launch course explores foundational topics (such as large language models and machine learning), the benefits and limitations of AI applications, and the importance of high-quality input data. Some degree-specific courses expand on these concepts.

Years Two & Three

While core concepts remain a focus, degree-specific courses move into more advanced topics, such as how to use AI to accomplish goals in specific fields, how to assess output for accuracy and relevance, and how to solve field-specific challenges with AI. Students also explore the implications of AI use cases and learn about responsible implementation. One example: A new Department of Classics course, “Sophocles and AI: Building a New AI Research Tool for Classics,” will show students how to use AI to better understand ancient literature.

Year Four

This year culminates in an AI-related project, capstone or experiential learning program. For example, in a two-part course series in the College of Pharmacy, students deeply examine pharmaceutical design and delivery, and use in patient care. The curriculum explores how to optimize therapeutic interventions with AI.

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Innovation in action

No matter where you look at Ohio State, you’ll find researchers exploring bold, fascinating and consequential AI ideas. They’re using the technology to address a vast array of weighty challenges, from climate change to wildfires to lost urban history. Here are five examples that offer a snapshot of the depth and breadth of Ohio State’s AI innovations.

Joachim Moortgat

The unit: Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center

The problem: The climate crisis is increasing the need for clean energy.

Used AI to: Identify underground hydrogen deposits, one of nature’s cleanest and most efficient energy sources.

Jianyong “Jamie” Wu

The unit: College of Public Health

The problem: Wildfire smoke has become a major environmental health threat.

Used AI to: Determine the problem’s complex drivers and regional solutions for reducing risk.

Harvey Miller ’91 PhD

The unit: Center for Urban and Regional Analysis

The problem: Development has wiped out some urban neighborhoods and their histories.

Used AI to: Create virtual reality models of historical neighborhoods using maps and photographs.

Cory Tressler ’01, ’04, ’19 MA

The unit: University Libraries

The problem: Visually impaired people can’t access millions of research documents.

Used AI to: Automate the process for making PDFs screen-reader accessible.

Eric Healy

The unit: Department of Speech and Hearing Science

The problem: Background noise hinders hearing aid users.

Used AI to: Develop an algorithm that suppresses noise without distorting the main speaker.