Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the largest academic gift in the history of the State University of New York at Binghamton, establishing the Center for AI Responsibility and Research as the first-ever independent AI research center at any public university in the United States.
The $30 million philanthropic gift from a group of donors led by Tom Secunda — a Binghamton University alumnus and co-founder of Bloomberg LP, who also serves as the independent Chair of the board of the Empire AI consortium — is coupled with a $25 million research capital investment from SUNY. The announcement builds on New York State’s ongoing financial support for SUNY research and the advanced infrastructure required to keep New York competitive in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
This announcement underscores Governor Hochul’s conviction that AI can drive breakthroughs in health, security, and economic opportunity, and that realizing that promise requires safe, transparent, and trustworthy foundations that independent research can provide.
