Brown is looking for a new administrative leader for artificial intelligence.
Provost Francis Doyle has reached out to faculty members inviting them to apply for a position as the University’s first Associate Provost of Artificial Intelligence via an email reviewed by The Herald. The position, referred to as APAI, was first announced in late August.
The University hopes to announce the selection for associate provost in November, University Spokesperson Brian Clark wrote in an email to The Herald.
The new position will serve as a leader on AI use on campus. The APAI will collaborate with staff, faculty, administration and Corporation members to develop institutional policy and priorities on AI. This includes working with faculty committees, evaluating research needs and communicating University policy to community members, according to the position description.
The APAI will also lead a committee on AI in teaching and learning in collaboration with the Sheridan Center, Clark said, noting that the plans are still under development.
The position will be filled by a currently tenured faculty member for a three year appointment. Half of the provost’s time will be devoted to the position, with the other half left for teaching, research and other responsibilities.
“Faculty from all disciplines are eligible to hold the position,” Clark said. The University has seen applicants from the humanities, social sciences, life sciences and physical sciences, he noted.
The search committee is co-chaired by Deputy Provost Janet Blum and Director of the Data Science Institute Sohini Ramachandran. Its members consist of faculty and staff from various departments.
The new position follows similar developments at other universities. Penn’s medical school appointed their first Vice Dean of AI this April, and Dartmouth has created a one-year appointment for a special advisor to the Provost for AI.
For the past year, the University has not prescribed standard guidelines for AI use in the classroom, leaving the details up to professors. It is currently unclear how this new position may impact University AI policy.
Ryan Doherty is a section editor covering faculty, higher education and science & research. He is a junior concentrating in chemistry and economics who likes to partially complete crosswords in his free time.
