Jinjun Xiong was a young computer scientist working on AI technology at IBM when the company’s Watson computer famously beat the top human players on “Jeopardy!”. But while the rest of the world oohed and aahed, Xiong wondered if we should be using AI for a higher purpose—not to defeat humans, but to help them. Now a SUNY Empire Innovation Professor at the University at Buffalo and director of UB’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, Xiong is fully immersed in designing AI solutions for the betterment of society. In this episode of Driven to Discover, Xiong talks to host Cory Nealon about the epiphany that drove his career choices, the AI projects he’s most excited about at UB, and why he thinks people should stop freaking out about the downsides of AI and be more energized by its possibilities.

Credits: 
 
Host: Cory Nealon
Guest: Jinjun Xiong
Writer: Laura Silverman
Production and editing by UB Video Production Group 

Coming May 6: Earthworms enjoy a pretty good rep. In truth, they’re an invasive species in the Northeast, not always a friend to our gardens, and a real menace to our forests. But they can be beneficial too. In this episode, ecologist Nick Henshue sheds light on the poorly understood creature, explaining how we can exploit its benefits while minimizing its potential for harm.