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U.S. Sen. Chris Coons joined the president of the University of Delaware, professors and researchers Wednesday to celebrate its new AI Institute for Human-AI Cooperation.
The center aims to develop “human-centered” artificial intelligence — personalized AI models that could support physical therapists by helping to create treatment plans tailored to a patient’s individual needs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 7 people in the U.S. are living with movement-related disabilities.
The University of Delaware-led effort is funded by a $21.5 million U.S. National Science Foundation grant and includes Delaware State University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Florida and Princeton University.
Coons said that while there have recently been several alarming reports of AI models going rogue, there are also optimistic signs that the technology can benefit society.
“Artificial intelligence is a word that strikes fear and hope into the hearts of millions,” he said. “We are at the very dawn of what will be the most dramatic, radical, sudden transformation in human history, and the possibilities on the positive side are enormous.”
University of Delaware officials say the institute will serve as a national hub for human‑centered AI.
Darcy Reisman, chair of the university’s Department of Physical Therapy, said much of their research is with people living with some kind of disability, or have a diagnosis that impacts their ability to move, speak or, in other ways, interact with the world.
“What AI really does well in medicine is help the clinician download tons and tons of information and relate it to other patients that look like the patient that’s sitting in front of them to identify potential treatments,” Reisman said.
Researchers will be able to use AI to create a digital twin that will allow them to safely test treatment options before recommending them to real patients. The center will draw experts from various industries, including machine learning, ethics, engineering and robotics, and neuroscience.
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U.S. Sen. Chris Coons and University of Delaware officials celebrated the opening of the AI Institute for Human-AI Cooperation, where artificial intelligence would work side by side with physical therapists to guide patient-treatment decisions. (Sarah Mueller/WHYY)
University of Delaware President Laura Carlson said an early research priority is neurologic rehabilitation for nervous system conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease.
Panagiotis Artemiadis, a professor of mechanical engineering at the university, has a lab that is working on human-robot interaction. He said his research, which includes a treadmill that can simulate different types of ground, has applications ranging from helping stroke victims to individuals with prosthetic limbs.
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