International Data Science and AI Leadership Summit
Professor Claudia Roda co-organized and co-chaired, with Micaela Parker, Founder and Executive Director the Academic Data Science Alliance (ADSA), the first International Data Science and AI Leadership Summit.
The summit, hosted at The American University of Paris, focused on three aspects of resiliency in higher education for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence:
- Empowering students to design and develop tools in data science and AI that prioritize human needs and societal welfare.
- Up-skilling within data science and AI, focusing on strategies to leverage technology for developing adaptable, future-ready professionals while balancing human oversight and AI delegation.
- Developing and sustaining interdisciplinary research programs, with a particular focus on navigating the current education funding landscape.
The excellent opening keynote was derived by David Ebert, Chief AI And Data Science Officer, Associate Vice President of Research, Innovation, and Impact, and Computer Science Engineering Endowed Innovation Chair in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Arizona.
Our featured keynote speaker, Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, discussed how artificial intelligence is transforming higher education and the important questions this raises: What constitutes genuine learning when machines can instantly produce essays and solve complex problems? How do we maintain critical thinking capabilities in an era of automated solutions? What strategies ensure we preserve human agency, creativity, and compassion within increasingly digital academic environments? The video of Giannini’s lecture is available on AUP’s Youtube channel.
Several UNESCO Chairs were among the thought leaders, educators, and innovators who contributed to the success of the two workshopping days.