New ‘AI and Language Technology’ Degree Gets New York Governor Backing

On August 13, 2025, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new initiative to position the State University of New York (SUNY) system at the forefront of the AI revolution. SUNY’s University at Buffalo (UB) will now offer AI-specialized degree programs.

Governor Hochul stated in the announcement that, “through University at Buffalo’s new degree programs, students will have the latest in AI education to help them pursue research and careers that will continue to evolve with further AI advancements.”

The new degree programs are backed by a USD 5m investment from the state for SUNY’s Department of AI and Society (AIS) at UB, which will initially fund seven AI-focused bachelor’s degrees, launching in the Fall 2025 semester. 

Two of these new programs are titled “AI and Language Technology” and “AI and Language and Intercultural Competence.”

An Interdisciplinary Perspective

These new AI-focused degree programs will be available in various UB departments, (e.g., the bachelor’s degree in “AI and Language Technology” will fall under the Department of Linguistics, while the “AI and Policy Analysis” program will be housed in the Department of Political Science) while integrating coursework focused on AI from the Department of AI and Society.

According to the Department of AI and Society, the new degree programs were developed using an “AI+X” model. This model integrates coursework focused on AI technology, as well as the ethical/societal effects of AI, into areas of study (X) that are directly affected by advances in AI such as linguistics, communications, or economics.

Each of the AI+X degrees will require certain “core” areas of coursework. For example, the “society core” includes courses like “AI & Ethics” or “AI and Policy,” while the “technology core” is meant to provide courses in “mathematics, statistics and probability, computer science, and data science that can be combined as needed for a specific degree.”

Each degree also incorporates “integrative courses” that are aimed at training students in the AI skills that are directly relevant to their area of specialization. 

Notably, students are still expected to complete significant conventional coursework in their specialization. For example, linguistics students who choose the “AI and Language Technology” program will still have to study phonology, phonetics, and semantics in addition to courses like “Algorithms and Complexity” and “Data Structures.”

Similarly, the “AI and Language and Intercultural Competence” degree will require students to take conventional language courses in one of eight languages. They will be able to choose from a series of courses in American Sign Language (ASL), Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, or Spanish. 

According to the listed learning outcomes for this degree, students still need to “demonstrate communicative proficiency in the target language for some complex topics and concepts.”

Dr Atri Rudra, a professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering and the Inaugural Chair for the Department of AI and Society, is quoted in the Governor’s press release saying that “This is not just about infusing AI into other disciplines […] We recognize that AI systems cannot benefit society without an AI workforce that understands society.”

At the time of writing, the Department of AI and Society does not yet offer graduate programs or its own independent undergraduate programs outside of the “AI+X” model. However, the department intends to expand its offerings in the near future.