Leading the Way in AI Literacy: Associate Professor Diane Shichtman

When artificial intelligence (AI) emerged as one of higher education’s most urgent and exciting challenges, Empire State University Associate Professor Diane Shichtman was ready to embrace it. With a background in computer science and a passion for the public understanding of science and technology, Shichtman is an important voice in preparing her students and colleagues for an AI-infused world.

When discussing artificial intelligence’s rapid emergence, Shichtman says, “This is the moment that we have to think and talk about AI, not just be aware of it.”

Her approach to AI literacy extends beyond teaching students how to use generative AI tools. Her course “AI Literacy: Foundations, Challenges, and Responsibilities,” cultivates a holistic understanding of AI that encompasses ethics, social responsibility, and real-world applications. In her role as the Center for Teaching and Learning’s AI Fellow, she offers professional-development opportunities for her colleagues through initiatives like Open Mic sessions that support open discussion of ideas, as well as “Topics in AI” discussions where she presents AI-related news and engages participants in hands-on demonstrations.

Shichtman began at SUNY Empire as an adjunct teaching computer ethics, a subject that would prove prescient. Despite a successful and lucrative consulting career, she was drawn to the creative opportunity to design curriculum and work with students from diverse backgrounds. Her career turning point came at a friend’s wedding when she realized she couldn’t stop talking about the work she was doing for SUNY Empire on the side—not her actual consulting work.

“I was making a difference,” she recalls. “I knew that I was doing something meaningful with my life. I was teaching at an institution that gives a lot of students a chance.”

Her expertise has earned recognition beyond campus. As a SUNY AI for the Public Good Fellow, Shichtman shares resources and consultations on AI literacy and the ethical use of AI for faculty, instructional designers, and librarians across SUNY. She sees SUNY Empire’s unique position as an online institution as an advantage. “We are looking at things in ways traditional brick-and-mortar institutions are not,” she says.

Shichtman says her background, knowledge, and experience have landed her in a moment she is ready for. While she doesn’t claim to have all the answers, she knows how to facilitate the crucial conversations higher education needs to be having about AI—and she’s committed to ensuring students aren’t surprised by whatever comes next.