Morgan State University's AI Research Center Could Soon See $2M Bump

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Morgan State University in Baltimore could soon receive $2 million for its new artificial intelligence research center.

Legislation that would direct the money toward the university advanced last night in the U.S. House of Representatives, in part due to the efforts of Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), according to congressional staff. 

The funding was included in the Commerce, Justice, and Science and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for the fiscal year 2023, which was passed by a House Appropriations subcommittee and is set to go before the full committee for consideration, staff said.

Ruppersberger requested the funding on behalf of the university, which aims to tackle complex data projects related to the responsible and equitable deployment of artificial intelligence at the center, according to congressional staff.  

The center will include a cutting-edge computer lab with high-performance workstations. Each workstation will be capable of delivering the equivalent of hundreds of traditional servers, staff said.

Morgan State University President David Wilson said that the center would, among many things, help address some of the problems associated with social inequity.

"As technology continues to evolve, it is imperative that social responsibility and equity be a part of the equation, particularly as it relates to artificial intelligence," he said. "Through the efforts of the new Center for Equitable Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Systems at Morgan, our researchers will be able to solve complex real-world problems and address the potential bias that exists in the technology we have come to depend upon."