[INSPRATIONAL MUSIC STING] - Hey everyone, Steve Adubato, everything you wanted or needed to know about AI right here.

And seriously, we're about to introduce Dr.

Patricia Morreale, Professor and Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Technology at Kean University, one of our higher ed partners.

And seriously, Professor, you have a program at Kean all about AI, the first in the state of New Jersey, first university or college to do this.

What is it and why is it so important, Doctor?

- So about a year ago, we decided, my faculty, a little more than a year ago, we decided that AI was so significant that we needed to develop a Bachelor of Science degree in Artificial Intelligence, so we went ahead and did that.

We created about 10 new courses.

We took it through program review here at the university.

We got it endorsed and reviewed at the state level, and it's been available to students in New Jersey at Kean University since fall of '25.

- What has the response been like from your students?

I mean, the level of interest.

- They're really excited.

AI is something that many students have been interested in, but they didn't really know how to access it.

They knew about generative AI and the tools out there that they could use, but learning about building it, using it, whether for good, or for, unfortunately, bad purposes, they were eager to look into that.

And they're very happy to have courses at all levels, entry level and more sophisticated upper level undergraduate and graduate courses that they can study.

- Do you believe, Professor, that sooner or later, sooner, rather than later, every university and college who is serious about preparing students for the future job market, if you will, are going to have to do this?

- I certainly think they're going to have to have AI in all their degree programs.

Whether or not they choose to have a Bachelor of Science AI, of course, that's up to them.

I know far more are joining us this fall, which is terrific for everyone.

But every single profession or field is being updated, enhanced by the use of AI from the history department with looking over manuscripts to the business department, having to teach your students how to work with marketing tools.

So using systems infused with AI or building them as our students are able to do is definitely what everyone's going to be doing.

- To what degree, Professor, is the issue of ethics and AI incorporated into the curriculum?

- Well, we're very fortunate we're participating in a National Science Foundation-funded project to put AI ethics in every year of our curriculum.

We're very, very concerned that we graduate students who know about the ethical use of AI.

From the early stages, there's a data structures course where we have them write the code themselves, and then use an AI tool to generate it and look at the differences, to more advanced courses, analysis of algorithms, where we study the organ donor algorithm and how people are matched, what the criteria are, how people can be, yeah.

- Wow.

- So this is a serious one.

You know, how well are you?

How sick are you?

What do you need?

What's the priority?

And then there are other, in software engineering, we look at tools that Amazon adopted, for example, a resume checker to look for efficiency and ways to go through the resumes faster.

Unfortunately, it introduced some bias and led to some hiring patterns that Amazon later had to correct.

So we study practical cases where AI was used either for better or for good, and hopefully our students will be well-equipped to avoid those pitfalls.

- As part of the curriculum, Professor, and in your work academically and the applied research that you do, how important is it that the rest of us not studying at Kean or any university in the future as it relates to an AI curriculum, how important is it the rest of us begin to understand the keys to identifying what has been generated from AI, and what is real?

- It's awfully important.

I mean, the deepfake images, I'm sure we all saw the Pope in the puffer coat.

I mean, that looked really good until I realized, no, that's not what he's wearing.

We have to critically examine every picture and every article that is shared with us.

We have to understand the statistics or numbers that are shared with us.

A good illustration is if you were going to plan a vacation and use a tool, an AI tool to help you plan it, be sure to check out and make sure that that's a real hotel or that's a real boardwalk that you're being suggested to take.

Those are very important factors.

Critically examine everything.

- Now you're helping students through this curriculum, through this program, prepare for a future influenced and impacted by AI.

To what degree is there an honest dialogue in the curriculum about where AI is replacing human beings?

- Well, that's a good point.

I mean, we remember when calculators came out and were widely used in the classroom and then computers became widespread in the classroom, and so forth.

So definitely AI has the potential to automate some tasks, but everything needs to be critically examined.

For example, initially there were concerns about generating code and so forth, but now companies are realizing they need even more software engineers to review that code and make sure what they're getting is correct.

So really AI is increasing the productivity of individuals, but there's still the critical examination that is needed of any product or any resource that's used.

So we do discuss it, but we also talk about the new ways AI will enable businesses to move forward, which I think you're seeing much excitement about on Wall Street.

- By the way, that's Wall Street as we tape on June 16th.

Wall Street goes all kinds of ways.

Real quick, a minute left.

As AI continues to the technology changing rapidly, to what degree is the university prepared to adapt and revise the curriculum accordingly?

- We're looking to make sure that every student that attends Kean University has an introduction to AI in a general education course.

And then if they choose, they can take additional courses both in their major area, which may not be computing, that will include AI.

We're introducing a minor this fall for all students in all disciplines that includes AI.

- Dr.

Patricia Morreale, who is a professor and the Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Technology at Kean University, one of our longtime higher ed partners.

Professor, thank you so much for joining us.

We'll revisit this issue as AI continues to evolve.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

- Thank you.

- You got it.

Stay with us, we'll be right back.

- [Narrator] State of Affairs with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by EJI, Excellence in Medicine Awards.

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NJ Best, New Jersey’s five-two-nine college savings plan.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

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