Human-centered artificial intelligence for a sustainable future
The field of artificial intelligence presents wide ranging opportunities for innovation, education, sustainable growth, and community engagement. As top researchers bring future AI innovations into our daily lives, a well-rounded education pairs these advances in science with the complex ethical questions necessary to foster responsible use. At UMass Amherst, you'll find opportunities to learn about and engage with AI that connect your critical thinking with your creativity.
AI Innovations in the News
More research updates
Generative AI
Stated simply, generative artificial intelligence (GAI) is a system that relies on very large data sets to generate content (text, images, video) in response to a prompt. This generated content is composed based on a complex model that predicts the likelihood of what output best matches the words used in the prompt. That model uses a variety of computational methods to associate likely outputs with the prompts entered by the user. This model is based on a representation of the contents of the large data set, and not based on a ‘human’ understanding of the prompt or the content it generates. The collections of texts and images and video informing most commercially available generative A.I. software are taken primarily from the internet and from the prompts entered by users. As a result, the quality of GAI output varies in terms of accuracy and bias.
Entering "school bus" as the prompt, a GAI tool produced the two images to the left. These two images do come close to depicting school buses. Upon closer inspection, we might notice irregularities with the proportions of the bus or we might notice that the background seems unusual. If we examine the writing on the side of the school bus image, we notice that the spelling of 'School Bus' is always wrong. Sometimes it is just mis-spelled and sometimes there are errors in the shape and relationship of the letters themselves. The GAI tool does not have a way to understand that the writing on the sides of school buses is text. Even though the program might be drawing from content that was labeled ''school bus," it may also be attempting to produce images that it associates with those terms. Different applications trained on different sets of images will likely produce different results.
Working with AI at UMass
University contracted tools, like CoPilot, enable exploration of generative AI technology while protecting our data. Our outstanding libraries are leading information literacy education by helping students and researchers acquire state of the art skills for searching for and evaluating information.
Classes help train graduate and undergraduate students in the use, application, critical evaluation, social impacts, and inner workings of AI technologies. Generative AI tools can be powerful and exciting to use, and they can make mistakes.
Students, researchers, and staff should consider expectations for academic honesty, data privacy, and accountability as discussed in these important guidelines before using generative AI for their work at UMass.
Important considerations for Students, Faculty and Researchers
Study
Join the conversation on artificial intelligence. UMass Amherst offers multiple certificate, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs in areas relevant to AI.
Research
As one of the top destinations for AI research in the world, UMass is constantly pushing the state-of-the-art with ongoing research programs that combine AI with personal health and wellness solutions, sustainability, social media analysis, and robotics.