By SHANNON O. WELLS

In its post-industrial reinvention period, Pittsburgh evolved from the iconic “Steel City” into Western Pennsylvania’s hub of “eds and meds,” reflecting abundant educational opportunities through the city’s research universities and world-class medical centers.

Michael Colaresi, associate vice provost for data science and political science professor in the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences, suggests the city is well positioned for a new claim to fame based on growth in the field of artificial intelligence.

“The University of Pittsburgh contributes deep expertise across fields such as health care, computing and information science, engineering, public policy and the social sciences,” he noted. “At the same time, Pittsburgh as a city has a unique ecosystem that includes leading research universities, world-class hospitals, robotics and technology companies, and a growing startup and civic-innovation community.”

DataSCI+AI Forum 2026: The Story and Future of Pittsburgh Through Data, held March 26 and 27 at the William Pitt Union and Heinz History Center, seeks to make the case that the city and the University that bears its name are well equipped to accommodate and advance the latest digital technology-based revolution. Register here.

Forum participants include a mix of students, faculty and staff from Pitt and neighboring universities, industry partners, nonprofit organizations, government leaders and community groups. The event is designed to give students exposure to real-world applications of AI, faculty and researchers an opportunity to connect their work to broader societal challenges, and regional partners a chance to explore opportunities for collaboration and workforce development.

“We want to highlight what a unique asset we have at the intersection of the University and our region. We have such creative and dedicated collaborators internally, such as the School of Computing and Information leadership, and externally — with the 13 companies and organizations that comprise the HAIL advisory board, said Colaresi, who was recently named director of Pitt’s Hub for AI and Data Science Leadership (HAIL). “This dynamic network has built both interpersonal trust and organizational bridges that we believe are necessary to lead in the age of AI.”

Colaresi took a break from his multifaceted duties to discuss the city’s and University’s roles in the rapidly evolving field of AI.

University Times: What individuals/entities conceived the DataSci+AI Forum? Is this the first of its kind?

Michael Colaresi: The DataSci+AI Forum evolved from Data Science Day, which was originally hosted by the School of Computing and Information Sciences and supported by Responsible Data Science at Pitt. Both events were designed to bring together people across the University and the region to explore the growing role of data and artificial intelligence in society.

Over the past year, the event expanded alongside Pitt’s broader efforts around responsible data science and AI, including the creation of (HAIL) and new partnerships across the Pittsburgh region and beyond.

While many conferences focus on technical AI development, the DataSci+AI Forum is designed to be different. It creates space for students, researchers, industry leaders, policymakers and community organizations to discuss how data and AI are shaping real-world decisions. At HAIL, we believe responsible AI ultimately depends on how these technologies are practiced and applied in real-world contexts.

This year, we are especially grateful for the support of our sponsors, including the School of Computing and Information, Amazon Web Services, the Learning Research and Development Center, Quantiphi, the Pitt SCI Master of Data Science, Blue Street Data, Highmark Health, the Microsoft AI for Good Lab, and a generous anonymous donor, whose partnership helps make the DataSci+AI Forum possible.

UTimes: Why is this an important event? Who will benefit from it?

Colaresi: AI is rapidly transforming nearly every sector, from health care and education to finance, government and scientific research. The forum creates an opportunity for the Pitt community and regional partners to step back and ask important questions: a) How do we decide whether to use certain technologies in learning, discovery and operations? b) When used, what practices ensure the decisions and systems benefit people and communities? and c) Specifically, how can universities integrate them into their academic work and work with partners within and outside of campus to learn, share and evolve responsible practices?

UTimes: How were the speakers and AI experts chosen?

Colaresi: The two days of the forum serve different, but complementary, purposes:

Day 1 focuses on the Pitt community, highlighting posters, demonstrations and examples of AI and data science across campus. The goal is to foster dialogue among students, faculty and staff about how AI is shaping research, teaching and operations. Insights from these conversations will contribute to a developing “Pitt AI Playbook,” which we hope will be a living set of questions and guidance informed by the Pitt community. nHooman Rashidi (associate dean of AI in medicine and professor and endowed chair of the School of Medicine’s Lombardi-Shinozuka Experimental Pathology Research) is our keynote speaker that day.

Day 2 brings in external perspectives, with speakers representing fields where data and AI are already having a major impact, including education, sports analytics, environmental science, space exploration and community innovation. Participants include University researchers, industry leaders, nonprofit organizations, government partners and entrepreneurs. 

UTimes: How do you define “responsible” data and AI?

Colaresi: Responsible data and AI refers to developing and using these technologies in ways that are transparent, accountable, fair, and aligned with societal needs. Importantly, responsible AI is not just a theory — it emerges through practice. It is applied and on the ground, not in the clouds.

Challenges to responsible implementation include biased or incomplete data, lack of transparency in algorithmic systems, insufficient oversight, and the rapid deployment of technologies before their impacts are fully understood. Universities can play an important role by bringing together technical expertise with research on ethics, policy and social impact.

UTimes: Do you believe there are many true AI “experts” in academia at this stage?

Colaresi: There are certainly technical experts working on the algorithms, infrastructure and mathematics behind AI systems. But the societal implications of AI are evolving so quickly that no single person can claim expertise across all of its dimensions.

What we increasingly need are interdisciplinary teams — people who together can understand both the technical foundations of AI and the broader human contexts in which these systems operate. That includes engineers and data scientists alongside ethicists, educators, policymakers and social scientists. The forum reflects this broader view of expertise by bringing these perspectives together.

UTimes: How would you describe AI’s rising significance — and the appeal of the upcoming forum — to those who aren’t particularly familiar with it?

Colaresi: At its core, the DataSci+AI Forum is about storytelling. Every dataset represents a piece of the world around us — whether it reflects a city’s infrastructure, a scientific discovery, a sports performance or an environmental system. Just as importantly, how that data is collected, interpreted and used tells a story about the values and principles of the people and institutions shaping it.

By bringing together people who work with data in different ways, the forum helps connect those stories and their underlying values. It highlights how universities like Pitt can serve as conveners, bringing diverse communities together to explore how technology can support better decisions, stronger institutions and an intentional future.

For Pittsburgh and the Pitt community, the forum is about shaping the future of AI together.

Shannon O. Wells is a writer for the University Times. Reach him at shannonw@pitt.edu.

 

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