Artificial Intelligence at Brown

Brown University has a distinguished legacy of driving pivotal technological transformations. From pioneering work building collections of online text that led to modern machine learning for chatbots, to visionary efforts in hyperlinked text and computer graphics that led to the world wide web and computer-animated films, Brown has been at the forefront of innovations that have helped shape the modern human experience.

As the world confronts the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, Brown is uniquely positioned to lead through its human-centered approach. We anchor our scholarship and research in a liberal arts model that elevates individual critical thinking, problem-solving, openness to novel ideas and new experiences, and a focus on understanding the complexities of a changing world.

The explosion of generative AI is shaping how members of the Brown community teach, learn, conduct research and perform their everyday work, while also influencing the ways students plan for life after Brown. Brown is taking full advantage of the tremendous opportunities of generative AI to advance its mission, while at the same time ensuring that it is used appropriately, ethically and in the service of the public good.

Christina H. Paxson Brown University President

A Human-Centered Approach

The fundamental basis of Brown’s approach to artificial intelligence positions AI as an enhancer of human capabilities — amplifying and elevating human intellect, empathy and creativity. Aligned with Brown’s core institutional values that affirm the pursuit of knowledge and understanding as central to Brown’s mission, the University provides resources, guidance and support to build AI use around the desired human impact. We promote thoughtful and deliberate engagement with AI in the context of the core purpose across research, teaching, and campus operations.

Leadership and Guidance

Brown maintains strategic integration of AI across academic, administrative and strategic domains through the leadership of the University's Associate Provost for Artificial Intelligence. Administrators throughout campus are focused on setting and maintaining clear standards for AI that emphasize data privacy, algorithmic fairness and human oversight.

Learn more about AI standards and guidance

Assistant Professor Srinath Sridhar works with students to develop AI that can understand human movement using machine learning and a specialized multi-camera system.

AI in Research and Innovation

Brown faculty and researchers advance technical innovation alongside critical reasoning, ethics and human-intensive inquiry. In disciplines as diverse as robotics, philosophy, computer science and history, Brown researchers shape responsible, human-centered AI for the public good.

Learn more about AI research at Brown

AI Literacy and Skill

In the classroom, Brown balances pedagogical innovation with a steadfast commitment to critical thinking and academic honesty. We are focused on building AI literacy and skill, equipping students to effectively engage with AI tools and systems as part of Brown's central mission to prepare them for lives of usefulness and reputation.

Learn more about AI in Brown's curriculum

Ph.D. candidate Zainab Iftikhar explores how emerging AI technologies could shape the future of mental health care.

Ellie Pavlick, a computer scientist who leads Brown’s National Science Foundation AI research institute, is helping develop models for trustworthy and safe AI assistants.

Do AI language models ‘understand’ the real world? On a basic level, they do, a new study finds

April 22, 2026

New research shows that AI language models can develop a mathematical “understanding” that differentiates between events that are commonplace, improbable, impossible or just plain nonsense.

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