AI Academic Hub
Empowering the Future with AI at CUNY
Leading Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact
Our Vision is shaping the Future of Human-AI Powered Education. CUNY is at the forefront of AI-driven transformation in higher education. Our mission is to harness AI鈥檚 potential to empower learning, drive research, and foster innovation鈥攅nsuring equitable opportunities for all.
Our Core Areas
CUNY鈥檚 AI mission is built on听three foundational pillars,
each rooted in听human-centered AI principles.
Ignite
AI-Ready Culture, Innovation, and Ethics
CUNY is advancing AI education by ensuring students, faculty, and staff have the听skills, resources, and ethical grounding听to lead in an AI-driven world.
Impact
AI Partnerships & Real-World Influence
CUNY collaborates with global leaders, policymakers, and industries to scale AI鈥檚 transformative power and drive real-world solutions.
Explore
Discovery and Engagement
The AI Discovery Hub is a gateway to AI resources, research, and interactive learning opportunities designed to expand knowledge and engagement.
Ignite
AI-Ready Culture, Responsible AI, Research & Innovation.
CUNY is committed to equipping students, faculty, and staff with the听skills, tools, and knowledge听required to navigate an AI-powered world confidently.
Over 90% of students see AI changing their future. At CUNY, we’ve created over 170 carefully designed AI-focused courses, innovative programs, and groundbreaking research opportunities. Everything you need is right here.
- Explore AI-One: CUNY AI for Everyone听(Build Your AI Skills!)
- Teaching Matters Series on Generative AI听(Unlock New Learning Tools!)
AI must be听fair, transparent, and accountable. CUNY is a leader in developing responsible AI frameworks that prioritize ethical use.
- CUNY AI Ethics & Education Initiative (Launched in 2024, this initiative ensures AI serves students, faculty, and staff ethically.)
- Federal AI Guidelines for Ethical AI in Education:
- Empowering Education Leaders听(The Ultimate AI Toolkit!)
- Navigating Artificial Intelligence in Postsecondary Education
- Avoiding AI Bias听(Ensure AI Works for Everyone!)
- 听(Stay Ahead of the Curve!)
AI is reshaping industries, and CUNY is driving the change with听cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Research In Focus Newsletter听(Get Monthly AI Insights鈥擲ubscribe!)
Impact
Partnerships & Influence
Strategic Partnerships
CUNY collaborates with听industry leaders, research institutions, and policymakers听to advance AI for societal good.
- CUNY鈥檚 Largest AI Research Grant ($75M from Simons Foundation)
Read AI Impact Stories
The rapid expansion of AI presents both opportunities and challenges for higher education. While AI tools can enhance learning and research, their misuse raises concerns about academic integrity and deepens existing inequities. Students at well-funded private institutions often have greater access to cutting-edge technology than their peers at public universities like CUNY. This disparity can put CUNY students at a disadvantage, limiting their exposure to AI, their understanding of its ethical implications, and their future career prospects.
To bridge this gap, Building Bridges of Knowledge (BBK), a yearlong faculty fellowship program funded by the Lumina Foundation, launched in June 2024 with 30 CUNY faculty members (25 Fellows and 5 Disciplinary Leads). Representing five key disciplinary areas鈥擧umanities, STEM, Social Sciences, Education, and Health鈥攖hese faculty members developed open educational resources (OERs) designed to help students engage with generative AI ethically, responsibly, and effectively. After piloting these materials in Fall 2024 and revising them based on student feedback in January 2025, the Fellows and Leads are now prepared to share their work with CUNY colleagues and the broader academic community in Spring 2025.
All BBK classroom materials are openly accessible OERs, fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing across higher education institutions. By embedding discussions of AI ethics within discipline-specific and general education materials, BBK not only equips students with essential AI literacy but also ensures that diverse student voices, experiences, and concerns are at the forefront of AI education. As a result, this fellowship serves as a model for integrating ethical AI education into the higher ed landscape.
Generative AI is reshaping industries, and CUNY students are diving in. Over 600 students from 21 campuses expressed interest in Demystifying Gen AI, an interactive workshop series designed to provide a foundational understanding of AI鈥攊ts possibilities, limitations, and real-world applications.
Developed in collaboration with the NY Jobs CEO Council and led by industry professionals from EY, JP Morgan, and Amazon, this series goes beyond the classroom. Over five weeks, students will not only explore AI concepts but also create their own AI-driven projects to present to experts.
This program is a testament to the power of industry-academic partnerships, ensuring that CUNY students have access to cutting-edge knowledge and opportunities. With AI becoming an essential skill across fields, Demystifying Gen AI equips students to take charge of their futures.
Explore
Discovery & Engagement
AI Discovery Hub
Your one-stop destination for AI education, tools, and hands-on learning.
- (Learn from AI Experts!)
- (See AI in Action!)
- (35+ AI Case Studies!)
- (Guidelines for the Future!)
- (What鈥檚 Next in AI Careers?)
- (12 Ways AI is Changing Higher Ed!)
- (Explore AI-powered teaching tools!)
- (Curated AI resources for education and innovation!)
CUNY does not endorse ChatGPT or any specific AI tools listed. Resources provided are informational and tool-agnostic.
AI isn鈥檛 just technology鈥攊t鈥檚 a transformative force. Whether you’re a student gearing up for the future, a faculty member reimagining teaching, or a staff member streamlining workflows, these expert strategies will help you harness AI with purpose, responsibility, and impact.
For Students: Develop Your AI Skills
- Think Critically About AI 鈥� AI is a powerful assistant, but not always accurate. Cross-check information and refine AI outputs with your own insights.
- Use AI to Boost (Not Replace) Learning听鈥� Leverage ChatGPT for brainstorming, summarizing, and tutoring, but ensure听your voice and analysis remain central.
- Build AI-Resilient Skills听鈥� Creativity, ethical judgment, and problem-solving are skills听AI can鈥檛 replace鈥攆ocus on strengthening them.
- Stay Ahead of AI Trends听鈥� Explore AI-focused courses and industry tools through the听AI-ONE.
One vision. One initiative. AI for everyone.
Pro Tip: Master the Art of AI Prompting
- Better Prompts = Better Results 鈥� AI responds to how you ask. Be clear, specific, and structured in your queries.
- Use Context & Constraints听鈥� Instead of asking,听鈥淭ell me about AI ethics,鈥�听refine it to听鈥淪ummarize three key ethical concerns in AI for higher education and suggest best practices.鈥�
- Iterate & Experiment 鈥� If AI鈥檚 response isn鈥檛 useful, tweak your prompt. Try different phrasing or add examples for clarity.
- Leverage AI for Deep Insights听鈥� Ask AI to provide different perspectives, synthesize data, or challenge assumptions鈥攏ot just generate surface-level answers.
For Faculty: AI-Enhanced Teaching & Research
- Integrate AI Thoughtfully听鈥� Use AI to foster听critical discussions, personalized learning, and innovative research methodologies.
- Encourage AI-Assisted Creativity听鈥� Design assignments that require听students to evaluate and refine AI-generated content, rather than passively using it.
- Guide AI Use with Clarity 鈥� Establish responsible AI engagement in coursework.
For Staff: AI for Efficiency & Innovation
- Experiment, Optimize, and Document AI is known for automating repetitive tasks. Explore AI-driven solutions to streamline workflows, enhance decision-making, and improve productivity鈥攚hile documenting best practices for continuous improvement.
- Use AI Thoughtfully听鈥� Use AI Thoughtfully to Support-Not Replace-Human Expertise
- Stay AI-Informed听鈥� Join AI literacy programs to enhance your AI skillset and contribute to CUNY鈥檚 AI-driven transformation.
Teaching Matters Series: Generative AI in Education
AI at CUNY:
Key Questions & Answers
CUNY鈥檚 AI approach is bold, intentional, responsible, and equitable鈥攄esigned to empower people, protect data, and drive real, measurable impact.
AI is a powerful tool that analyzes data, identifies patterns, and generates insights, but its effectiveness depends on the quality of data it uses. That鈥檚 why critical thinking, transparency, and ethical use are essential. At CUNY, we encourage everyone to approach AI with care鈥攓uestion outputs, cross-check results, and fully understand the tool鈥檚 limitations.
Equally important is safeguarding personal information. When working with AI tools, avoid sharing sensitive or identifiable data. By prioritizing privacy and following responsible data practices, we ensure that AI use aligns with our values and protects everyone鈥檚 integrity. For more information, you can refer to CUNY鈥檚听Data Governance and Information Security policies.
AI relies on vast amounts of data, but with that comes a responsibility to protect privacy, maintain security, and ensure ethical use. CUNY follows strict data governance policies, including听its Privacy Policy,听Data Classification Standard and compliance with FOIL (Freedom of Information Law).
By integrating these policies into AI research, student support systems, and operational AI tools, we ensure AI is used in a secure, transparent, and accountable way鈥攑rotecting users while enabling innovation. You can find more information about CUNY鈥檚 policies听here.
CUNY鈥檚 AI strategy is purpose-driven, values-guided, and impact-focused.
- Values and Governance:听Our approach starts with ethics, equity, and transparency. With robust governance frameworks in place, CUNY ensures that AI adoption serves our community responsibly.
- Infrastructure for Responsible AI:听CUNY invests in essential tools, policies, and institutional capabilities, ensuring AI solutions are secure, sustainable, and impactful.
- Execution with Impact:听CUNY鈥檚 AI strategy centers on five core pillars:
- Education:听Integrating AI into curricula and preparing faculty to guide students toward future-ready careers.
- Workforce:听Equipping students with AI skills, micro-credentials, and career pathways.
- Operations:听Enhancing student services, streamlining processes, and supporting informed decision-making.
- Research and Innovation:听Driving groundbreaking discoveries, supporting entrepreneurship, and championing AI for social good.
- Partnerships:听Collaborating with industry, government, and academic institutions to expand AI鈥檚 reach and impact.
CUNY鈥檚 AI adoption is actionable, resilient, and designed to deliver meaningful social impact鈥攐n campus and beyond.
Collaborate and Stay Connected
CUNY鈥檚 AI initiatives听thrive through collaboration.
Let鈥檚 work together to make AI more ethical, innovative, and impactful.
Evan Silberman
Interim Senior University Dean of Academic Innovation and Interim Chief Academic Technology Officer
646-664-2262
Evan.Silberman@cuny.edu
