SUNY implements new AI literacy requirement for incoming students
Starting in the Fall of 2026, the State University of New York will require a course in artificial intelligence across all campuses to satisfy general education requirements on information literacy.
ALBANY, N.Y. —
Starting this fall, all incoming SUNY students will be required to take a course in artificial intelligence.
The State University of New York amended its general education framework across all of its 64 campuses to include AI as a core competency under information literacy. Courses will teach students how to use AI tools with an awareness of authority, accuracy, bias, and source material.
According to SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr., artificial intelligence is reshaping the job market, so it’s important for students to be prepared.
“If you’re an architect, you’re not going to lose your job to AI, but you might lose your job to an architect who knows how to use AI as a tool,” King said. “We’re focused on making sure SUNY graduates are ready for an AI-shaped economy.”
In April, the SUNY Board of Trustees adopted a system-wide policy with guidelines on the acceptable and responsible use of artificial intelligence. The policy establishes responsible principles, including clear accountability frameworks, ethical design, bias risk mitigation, privacy and security, and meaningful education surrounding the potential consequences of AI use.
The board of trustees gave each SUNY campus until Dec. 31, 2026, to draft individual AI policies or update existing policies to confirm the institution’s commitment to the responsible AI principles. Those policies must address the following:
Roles and Responsibilities: Clarifying faculty, staff, and student roles and responsibilities for the management and oversight of AI systems.Procurement: Incorporating language that will protect SUNY data, protect against biased, discriminatory and unethical outcomes, and preserve SUNY’s decision-making authority.Domain-Specific Governance: Reflecting differences in expectations around academic freedom, shared governance, intellectual property, regulatory compliance, and operational risk.Training: Ensuring faculty, staff, and students receive training to manage AI tools in a non-discriminatory, ethical and non-biased manner.Protecting Fairness, Privacy and Security: Implementing appropriate controls to protect institutional data and operations and prevent bias and discrimination.Risk-Based Governance: Instituting oversight and management mechanisms that reflect the nature and severity of the risks the AI systems present. Review Regularly: Re-evaluating policies with AI-related provisions at regular intervals to account for changes in technology, regulations, and operational practices.
SUNY has also launched an Empire AI initiative, which is a research-based initiative with a focus on advancing the public good.
“How can we use artificial intelligence to improve the treatment of disease? How can we use artificial intelligence to mitigate the consequences of climate change? We’re doing that on the research side,” King said.
The state invested $500 million through a partnership with Anthropic to enhance computing capacity at the University at Buffalo to drive that research. That computing capacity is being used at public and private campuses across New York State, including the University at Albany, SUNY Binghamton, Stony Brook University, Cornell, and Columbia.