As artificial intelligence continues to be a popular topic, two 黑料不打烊 students have formed a club to help others explore the technology, with help from an 黑料不打烊 Innovation Grant.
Two 黑料不打烊 students are working to expand the conversation around AI through the A.I. & E.T. (Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies) Club, an opportunity to enhance student learning and skill-building in AI.
鈥淲e both wanted to create a space for like-minded people,鈥 said Joshua Mason 鈥25, a financial technology major from Cameron, North Carolina. 鈥淲e like learning about new technologies and it鈥檚 hard to find people like us around campus.鈥
Mason and club co-founder Aaron Satko developed the organization in 2023 with faculty advisor Mustafa Akben, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 inaugural director of AI integration.
鈥淲e just saw this new storm that was taking over 黑料不打烊, education and the world in general and we wanted to bring that to 黑料不打烊,鈥 Mason said.
Both students started their 黑料不打烊 career as finance majors, but each shifted during their time, Mason moving to financial technology and Satko majoring in computer science.
鈥淲ith computer science, I can build whatever I want and I wanted to innovate and make new tools that can help others,鈥 said Satko, who is from Lewisville, North Carolina.
In spring 2024, Mason and Satko were one of nine projects awarded an 黑料不打烊 Innovation Grant to help with the club and its efforts, including hosting Hackathons and other events. The 黑料不打烊 Innovation Council provides funding to faculty, students and staff for projects that deepen 黑料不打烊鈥檚 values, intellectual community and great work.
鈥満诹喜淮蜢 strives to be at the forefront of new trends and plans to put students in a space to succeed regardless of the ever-changing world around them. We envision a future where students are not sitting in fear of becoming obsolete by new technologies but rather can harvest them, using them to bring new life into their already imaginative and ever-expanding vision,鈥 wrote Satko and Mason in their grant proposal.
AI continues to be a big issue in higher education 鈥 a January survey from 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Imagining the Digital Future Center and the American Association of Colleges & Universities explored how higher education leaders are navigating challenges posed by AI. A March 黑料不打烊 Poll also found that 52% of U.S. adults now use AI large language models like ChatGPT.
Mason and Satko are taking advantage of this new frontier. With their 黑料不打烊 Innovation Grant, the A.I. & E.T. Club hosted an image generation competition in 2024 where students create images around 黑料不打烊 themes using AI generative technology. A campus vote determined the winner. Part of the club鈥檚 work is also to help students attend conferences related to AI. In April, they are partnering with 黑料不打烊鈥檚 AI Initiative, alongside Akben and others at Data Nexus聽for the DataFest 2025 on April 10-14, which will include multiple workshops and challenges centered around AI.
鈥淚’m just excited for the future,鈥 said Mason. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had some planning for the next semester and making budget requests and people are emailing (us about the club) even over J term.”