The document outlines the establishment of an artificial intelligence (AI) lab at the University of Rhode Island (URI) aimed at promoting 'learning-by-doing' across various AI learning zones. It highlights collaboration across disciplines, new general education courses, and the lab's role in advancing URI's big data initiatives and supporting Rhode Island's smart economy strategy. The initiative emphasizes the impact of AI on libraries, aiming to enhance user experience and facilitate learning about AI technologies.

1. INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING THROUGH LIBRARIES ON
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Bohyun Kim, University of Rhode island
2018 Code4Lib Conference, Washington D.C., Feb. 13-16, 2018.
Goals for the AI Lab @ URI*
• “Learning-by-doing” in three
different AI Learning Zones: Beginner,
Learning, and Advanced.
• “Each zone provides opportunities
where projects on robotics, natural
language processing, smart cities, smart
homes, the Internet of Things, and big
data can be explored and designed;
and will consist of guided tutorials,
starting with beginner level.”
• Affiliated Faculty will also develop new
General Education courses in the Grand
Challenge and Integrative categories
around the AI Theme.**
• Boosts the URI’s Big Data Initiative***
• Contribute to the RI State’s plan to
develop a smart economy.
* Lindsay McKenzie, “A New Home for AI: The Library,”
Inside Higher Ed, January 17, 2018,
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/01/17/rho
de-island-hopes-putting-artificial-intelligence-lab-library-
will-expand-ais-reach.
** “Guidelines for Submission of a Grand Challenge
Course,” University of Rhode Island, accessed January 22,
2018, https://web.uri.edu/general-
education/files/Grand_Challenge_Criteria.pdf
*** “URI Hiring Faculty, Investing in High Performance
Computing to Boost Research, Teaching with ‘Big Data,’”
URI Today, March 3, 2016,
https://today.uri.edu/news/uri-hiring-faculty-investing-in-
high-performance-computing-to-boost-research-teaching-
with-big-data/.
Disciplines & Courses on Campus
• Data science
• Computer science
• Engineering (Internet of Things, sensors, wearables, robots etc.)
• Statistics
• Oceanography
• Digital Forensics
• Philosophy
AI’s Impact on Libraries
• Boost the discovery relevancy?
• Cross-language search?
• Automated decision-making on collection development etc. … ?
• Improved library UX through speech recognition, computer vision,
digital assistants, personalized learning experience, and so on.
• Intelligent machines will be the new consumer of the library’s
information resources; They are likely to drive changes in the
traditional library services and operation.
• What does Information, Knowledge, Learning, Intelligence mean in
the era of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
AI Lab @ URI - Implementation in Progress
• Promotion through the e-mail listserv and Meet-Up events
• Purchase relevant ML software / hardware for the AI Lab
• Identify relevant AI datasets*
• Tutorials & Scenarios development for learning/teaching
• Convene the interested faculty for brainstorming
• Plan for ongoing support and continuing engagement
• Foster more AI-related projects
* Examples include “Datasets,” Kaggle, accessed January 22, 2018,
https://www.kaggle.com/datasets ; ImageNet, http://image-net.org/index ; “UCI Machine
Learning Repository: Data Sets,” UCI Center for Machine Learning and Intelligent Systems,
accessed January 22, 2018, https://archive.ics.uci.edu/ml/datasets.html.
Why Artificial Intelligence (AI) at a Library?
• AI is a field of technology that closely connects with topics and
concepts that libraries care a great deal and directly relate to.
: Information / Knowledge / Learning / Intelligence
• AI will have a far-reaching impact on our users.
• Demystify AI and promote wider discussion.
• Raise the awareness about AI developments and issues.
• A Library is a crossroads for learning and teaching in many
different disciplines; a central location on campus.
• High student demand for AI-related learning opportunities at URI
• Synergy with the makerspace & DataSpark at the URI libraries
• Planned focus on learning & teaching activities
• A hub for creative thinking, debates, and collaboration
• Grant from the Champlin Foundation in Dec. 2017.*
* “URI to Launch Artificial Intelligence Lab,” URI Today, December 20,
2017,https://today.uri.edu/news/uri-to-launch-artificial-intelligence-lab/.