New York launches first-ever Empire AI Consortium

In a landmark move, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has launched the state’s pioneering Empire AI Consortium, an initiative heralded as the first of its kind in the United States. Announced just six months after its inclusion in the fiscal year 2025 budget, this ambitious programme aims to turn New York into a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) research and development. The Simons Foundation’s philanthropic donations have provided the initial computational resources and expert personnel needed to propel this research forward.

Located at the University at Buffalo, the initial phase offers some of the most advanced computing capabilities currently available in the nation. The Consortium has already issued a call for proposals to establish a permanent home for its state-of-the-art AI facility. The goal is to use AI technology to tackle significant societal challenges across various sectors, including climate change, health care, education, and economic development.

Governor Hochul expressed optimism about the project, stating, “New York is writing the next chapter of human history with our historic Empire AI initiative—putting innovation, research and technology at the forefront of our investments.”

The Empire AI Consortium’s objectives are focused on addressing issues such as global food insecurity, urban poverty, sustainable energy solutions, and advanced health care diagnostics. It also aims to develop equitable economic strategies and optimise infrastructure for intelligent cities.

Leading the effort as interim executive director is Dr. Robert J. Harrison from Stony Brook University. Harrison, a notable figure in the field of advanced computational science, brings a wealth of experience from academia and national laboratories, including the world’s fastest open-science computer initiatives. Under his interim leadership, the Consortium aims to recruit a permanent director through a national search.

The Consortium encompasses a slew of New York-based academic and research heavyweights, such as Columbia University, Cornell University, New York University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and various State University of New York (SUNY) schools. Complementing these efforts are contributions from the Flatiron Institute and private sector partners. Together, they aim to harness their combined expertise for significant societal impact.

It is funded through over $400 million in public and private investment, featuring a substantial $250 million state capital grant and $25 million over ten years committed by SUNY. Additional backing comes from the founding institutions and private donors like the Simons Foundation and Tom Secunda of Bloomberg LP.

The initiative is rooted in a broader legislative push for the ethical use of AI. Governor Hochul has committed to enacting measures that ensure AI technology operates within safe and ethical boundaries, including the regulation of political communications that use deceptive media.

The establishment of the Empire AI Consortium aligns with Governor Hochul’s broader innovation agenda, which includes initiatives like the Green CHIPS legislation, aimed at propelling semiconductor research in New York, and the massive $10 billion partnership with NY CREATES. This agenda has already drawn significant investments from major players like GlobalFoundries and Micron, contributing to a technological and economic renaissance in the state.

David Spergel, President of the Simons Foundation, expressed optimism, stating how recent Nobel Prizes in Chemistry and Physics underscore AI’s pivotal role in future scientific breakthroughs, a vision that Empire AI aims to embody. The investment and focus on AI advance New York’s status as a hub of scientific excellence and technological innovation poised to offer solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing society today.

Source: Noah Wire Services