As with much of the rest of the country, artificial intelligence is on the mind of Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith.

In a State of the University Address on Sept. 14 at the Staller Center, the second-year president, who is an engineer by training, suggested that the university embrace the opportunities presented by the latest technology, preparing students for life after college.

“As a public flagship in a powerful state, at a time when AI is disrupting not only the job market, our ethics, values and the very core of society, our responsibility is to ensure this powerful technology strengthens each dimension of our mission,” Goldsmith said. “Rather than retreating during this uncertain time, we are seizing the opportunities it provides to set and achieve our bold aspirations and to help our communities navigate this change.”

Stony Brook is working to reimagine teaching and learning in the era of AI to strengthen rather than compromise the academic environment through the use of this tool, she continued.

“Navigating this shift requires us to ask important, complex questions about the value and nature of a Stony Brook education, including how our students learn, what knowledge they need to master for successful careers and lives and how we assess this mastery,” Goldsmith said. The university is still “in the very early stages of understanding how to harness this transformative technology to enhance education and student success.”

Goldsmith envisioned the university, which is the largest single-site employer on Long Island and the 23rd largest in the New York area, as a place that supports economic growth across the region.