Purdue Polytechnic’s Applied AI Day on April 11, 2025, gathered faculty, students, and industry professionals to delve into AI’s impact on real-world applications. The event featured keynote speeches from experts at Apple and Amazon, alongside faculty research on safety, construction, and manufacturing. A poster session showcased student projects linked to ongoing faculty research, all underlining the mission of the Applied AI Research Center.
Purdue Polytechnic recently showcased its commitment to advancing artificial intelligence during the inaugural Applied AI Day on April 11, 2025. This event gathered faculty, students, and industry professionals to discuss the real-world impacts of AI. Organized by the Applied AI Research Center (AARC), the day included keynotes from heavyweights at Amazon and Apple, alongside faculty presentations that traversed topics in construction, safety, and manufacturing, capped off with a student poster session highlighting ongoing research.
Among the keynote speakers were Navdeep Jaitly from Apple and Iris Pan from Amazon. Jaitly focused on the pitfalls of data tokenization in generative AI, advocating for the development of multimodal models that generate raw data directly, challenging traditional deep learning approaches. His insights aimed at reshaping how datasets are handled, stressing the importance of data complexity preservation.
Iris Pan painted a picture of the future with AI in shopping, featuring Amazon’s AR tool “View in Your Room” and conversational agents like Rufus. She discussed how designers and applied scientists are collaborating to enhance intelligent commerce and transform the shopping experience, emphasizing the significant role of design in this evolution.
Purdue Polytechnic faculty members also showcased their research, addressing AI’s influence in various industries. Rua Mae Williams discussed the need to tackle eugenic legacies in AI design, aiming for more inclusive community-centered frameworks. Meanwhile, Kyubyung Kang presented a method to utilize low-cost data from CCTV footage for real-time infrastructure monitoring, showcasing how accessible AI can be for construction management.
Xingyu Li introduced a human-centric model for decision-making in smart manufacturing, merging generative AI with digital twins for optimized production processes. Gaurav Nanda demonstrated how AI and human-computer interaction can enhance safety protocols through better analysis of unstructured data, potentially reshaping injury surveillance.
The day also included a student poster session at Purdue’s Stewart Center, which allowed both undergraduate and graduate students to present their applied AI projects. Many of these student works connected with ongoing faculty research and highlighted active industry partnerships, reflecting AARC’s dedication to developing AI talent.
Since its launch in 2024, the Applied AI Research Center has focused on interdisciplinary research that values practical, ethical, and impactful AI applications. With emphasis areas in cybersecurity, robotics, natural language processing, and data analytics, AARC has positioned itself as a go-to resource for collaborations in solving real-world challenges with AI. Interested parties can learn more by visiting polytechnic.purdue.edu/aarc.
Applied AI Day at Purdue illustrated the university’s pivotal role in the advancing landscape of artificial intelligence, showcasing both faculty and student innovations. With thought leaders from top tech companies and research initiatives aimed at practical applications, Purdue is forging a path toward ethical and impactful AI integration. The event not only celebrated current advancements but also inspired future collaborations and developments in the field.
Original Source: polytechnic.purdue.edu
