The Albany Artificial Intelligence Supercomputing Initiative

Dear UAlbany Community:

As you may have seen in the news coverage over the weekend, the final state budget includes $75 million for the Albany Artificial Intelligence Supercomputing Initiative (Albany AI). Through this multifaceted program, UAlbany will work with government, educational, and industry partners to significantly expand the artificial intelligence supercomputing resources available in New York for teaching and research well beyond traditional STEM applications, including the arts and humanities.

Together with the proposed reunification of UAlbany with the College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, Albany AI will also help propel Upstate New York to the forefront of next-generation chip design.

This transformational funding will also allow us to complete the renovation of the former Albany High School as the home of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences—a marquee project for UAlbany and the City of Albany that has been seven years in the making.

Through our signature strengths in cybersecurity, climate science, health sciences, and emergency preparedness, UAlbany is uniquely positioned to leverage this computing power to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges—from post-pandemic health data analytics to K-12 education, robotic surgery, predicting severe weather associated with climate change, and developing AI systems worthy of human trust.

We are profoundly grateful to Governor Hochul, Senators Neil Breslin and Michelle Hinchey, and Assemblymembers Pat Fahy and John McDonald for delivering on their commitment to ensure UAlbany and SUNY can continue to expand the frontiers of human knowledge and innovation, as well as their impact on our communities. We would also like to thank Sheila Seery, Vice President for Government and Community Relations, for her leadership in shepherding this proposal through the process—and everyone at UAlbany who contributed to this successful outcome.

Access to these new AI clusters, and the opportunity to engage scientists, researchers, and students, will cultivate an innovation and investment ecosystem that will strengthen the Upstate economy and educate the AI workforce New York needs. And as one of the most diverse research institutions in the United States, UAlbany will not only help Governor Hochul realize her vision to make SUNY the best public university system in the nation—we will also continue to serve as an engine of social mobility that offers life-changing opportunities to all New Yorkers.

Our Office of Government and Community Relations continues to review the state budget’s impact on UAlbany and will provide a comprehensive report in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, we should celebrate the state’s investment in Albany AI—which will further expand UAlbany’s global research footprint and create historic opportunities for our institution, our region, and beyond.

Sincerely,

Havidán Rodríguez
President

Thenkurussi “Kesh” Kesavadas
Vice President for Research and Economic Development