By Alexandra Townsend

The AI Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM) welcomed back prominent artificial intelligence researcher Rama Chellappa on Friday, Dec. 5, to discuss his recent advances in computer vision and AI. 

Chellappa earned his doctorate in electrical engineering in 1981 from Purdue University. The event highlighted AIM’s mission to develop and deploy AI ethically across various fields. 

Chellappa is renowned for his work in computer vision, pattern recognition and machine learning. He taught courses in signal and image processing, pattern recognition, computer vision and machine learning for many years in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Maryland. Currently, Chellappa works at Johns Hopkins University, continuing his research in computer vision and AI.

To further underscore AIM’s emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, Chellappa emphasized the importance of cooperation in AI research. During his remarks, he shared reflections from his career in computer vision, a field he said has evolved and must increasingly encourage AI systems to cooperate.

“Computer vision and language systems were long developed separately, even though as they have evolved, they seem to intertwine,” Chellappa said. “It was a mistake that they didn’t work together to start with.” 

Chellappa also discussed the rapid adoption of AI by major companies, citing Meta AI in particular. He spoke directly to students, saying, “learn when you’re young, you never know when it’s going to be useful,” adding that this is the way of the future and “if you can’t beat them, join them.”

AIM is exploring new ways to broaden its reach across the university, including collaborations with other departments. 

Callen Wallace graduated from American University with a degree in political science and history and now serves as AIM’s Program Coordinator. He emphasized how AI can impact humanities fields.

Wallace mentioned that AI could have helped him during his undergraduate years, specifically when he was reviewing and organizing old manuscripts.

“I spent many countless hours working on reading and organizing old historical documents or going through old tapes,” Wallace said. “If AI were as advanced as it is today, it would have been able to automate the process to go faster.” 

His experience demonstrates AIM’s mission to broaden AI use not only across STEM but also across the humanities. Real-world examples help explain how AI can enhance learning, research and problem-solving across the university.

AIM is developing a new undergraduate degree program. The institution is developing both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in AI, providing students with a structured path to study artificial intelligence and connecting it to real-world applications. 

AIM Director Hal Daumé III researches AI and how it can interact with users, support their needs and reduce potential harm. Daumé said that as AI adoption rises, people will have to adjust to a new way of working, which can affect almost any industry. 

“Business as usual might not be business as usual going forward,” Daumé said. “I hope AIM can work to figure out how to help make sense of it and try to AI-ify things.”

He noted that the institute is currently working with the Department of Computer Science to develop a Bachelor of Science in AI and with the Department of Philosophy to create a Bachelor of Arts in AI.

Daumé also acknowledged that AI is not always the answer, noting that one reason AIM is developing a Bachelor’s of Arts in collaboration with the Department of Philosophy is to address the ethical questions surrounding AI use. 

Chellappa’s visit emphasized AIM’s role in advocating for responsible usage of AI. Even though the undergraduate program is in its early stages, its outline emphasizes ethics, collaboration, and real-world application.

Featured Image: Rama Chellappa speaking on Dec. 5, 2025. Photo by Alexandra Townsend.