Not all chatbots are created equal. Some, like those used in customer service, are relatively simple. Others—like the systems Rohini Srihari builds—can take on far more complex tasks, such as giving a voice to someone with ALS who has lost the ability to speak. In this episode, Srihari, an artificial intelligence pioneer at the University at Buffalo, shares how she combines her love of language with computer science to create AI-based tools that not only help people with motor neuron diseases communicate, but also address the nation’s mental health crisis, predict the flow of refugees, and even assist choreographers in creating new works. As she tells host Cory Nealon, this work represents just the beginning of how AI can be harnessed for the public good.

Credits: 
 
Host: Cory Nealon
Guest: Rohini Srihari
Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman
Production and editing by UB Video Production Group 

Coming May 5: Is work stressing you out? Min-Hsuan Tu understands. An expert in the field of human resources and organizational behavior, Tu has researched a range of the challenges found in today’s workplace. She joins Driven to Discover for the last episode of the season to share what she has learned—and what every employee should know.