Binghamton University will establish a new Center for AI Responsibility and Research after securing what it described as the largest academic gift in the university’s history, a $55 million commitment combining private philanthropy and state capital support.
The funding package includes $30 million from alumnus Tom Secunda ’76, MA ’79, the co-founder of Bloomberg LP, along with a $25 million capital investment from Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. University leaders said the center is intended to expand Binghamton’s work on responsible AI and position the campus as a national hub for research focused on public trust, ethics, and real-world impact.
The center will be part of the broader Empire AI project, a statewide initiative aimed at strengthening New York’s role in responsible AI research and development. Binghamton is an early member of the Empire AI Consortium and has projects already underway that use Empire Alpha, a supercomputer housed at the State University of New York at Buffalo, while full-scale Empire AI computing capacity is completed. The university said it currently has 10 approved projects led by faculty researchers and their students.
Binghamton officials said the new center will build on existing campus research that applies machine learning and data science to challenges such as healthcare and information security. The university highlighted recent work, including a project led by Yu Chen, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, who received $50,000 from the SUNY Technology Accelerator Fund to support technology that flags deepfake content and AI-generated images.
University and state leaders framed the center as an independent research effort intended to increase transparency and ensure AI is developed and deployed in ways that benefit the public.
KEY QUOTES
“The Center for AI Responsibility and Research will bring together innovative research and scholarship, ethical leadership and public engagement at a moment when all three are urgently needed,” said President Anne D’Alleva. “I am deeply grateful to Governor Hochul and the State Legislature for their visionary support, and to Tom Secunda for his extraordinary generosity and continued commitment to his alma mater. Together, we are creating a research environment that ensures AI will strengthen communities, build our economy and earn the public’s trust.”
President Anne D’Alleva
“Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, and as the technology influences everything we do, we need to be just as nimble in making sure AI works for New Yorkers safely and responsibly,” Gov. Hochul said. “The Center for AI Responsibility and Research will be that independent arm of research that gives New Yorkers transparency to ensure AI is used for the public good.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul
“SUNY is on the move, and thanks to Gov. Hochul and our State Legislature, and private donors like Tom Secunda, our talented faculty members and students are being equipped with a top-tier independent research environment to support our efforts and move New York forward,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. “This historic investment is part of Governor Hochul’s ongoing commitment to double research at SUNY and ensure we are at the cutting edge of emerging technologies, including AI. There’s truly no better place for this work than right here in the SUNY family.”
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr.
“Responsible AI is about making technology that we can trust, and our SUNY campuses have the best tools to offer our outstanding faculty and aspiring student researchers,” said the SUNY Board of Trustees. “Our deep thanks to Gov. Hochul, state leaders and Tom Secunda for their outstanding commitment to AI research and innovation.”
SUNY Board of Trustees
