Mission Statement
The Renwick Program for Ethical, Safe, and Beneficial Artificial Intelligence at UF’s Engineering Leadership Institute aims to prepare the next generation of technology leaders to build ethical, safe and beneficial Artificial Intelligence.
We cultivate social awareness in computer science and engineering through education and research. This foundation empowers innovators to create transformative technologies that advance human flourishing while safeguarding against potential harms.
Program Goals
Interdisciplinary Education
The challenges posed by artificial intelligence span multiple domains, from societal and environmental to technological, geopolitical, and economic. Our educational initiative aims to develop well-rounded professionals who can navigate these interconnected and intersecting challenges through:
- Integrating diverse knowledge domains to develop AI systems that are more intelligent, adaptable, and universally beneficial.
- Understanding technical challenges through varied lenses: cultural, philosophical, economic, and historical.
- Building collaborative competency by equipping technologists with the shared vocabulary and interdisciplinary understanding needed to work effectively with social scientists, legal experts, and business leaders.
Interdisciplinary MS in AI Safety
Glenn Renwick challenged us to educate students who can provide answers to the pressing ethical questions facing AI today. To meet this challenge, we are developing the first interdisciplinary Master’s program in AI Safety—a two-year degree designed to bridge technical expertise with ethical reasoning and policy literacy.
The program is structured around three stackable graduate certificates, each comprising three courses:
Certificate 1 (Socio-Technical Systems) examines the ethics of emerging technologies, equipping future technology leaders to understand AI as deeply intertwined with social, political, and environmental contexts.
Certificate 2 (Safe AI) addresses the technical and philosophical foundations of AI safety, from risk assessment to building provably safe systems.
Certificate 3 (AI Governance) prepares students at three different levels of governance: organizational, national and global.
The program culminates in a capstone project developed in partnership with industry, giving students hands-on experience translating principles into practice.
Beyond the graduate program, we are also developing undergraduate courses and secondary education resources to build a pipeline of ethically informed AI practitioners at every level.
Interdisciplinary Research
Developing safe and beneficial AI demands collaboration across disciplines and sectors. While high-level ethical principles provide essential guidance, we recognize that ethical challenges must be understood within their specific, local contexts.
In partnership with industry and nonprofit organizations, we focus on four core research areas:
- Information Integrity: How do we maintain trust in our information ecosystems? What tools and educational approaches can preserve institutional credibility and help the public evaluate information quality?
- AI Alignment and Safety: How do we ensure that AI systems and agents behave in predictable, interpretable, and transparent ways?
- Global Ethics: How do we develop culturally intelligent and socially grounded AI experiences that serve diverse communities? What are different conceptual differences to data rights?
- AI Governance and Accountability: What research is needed to support regulatory frameworks and ethical standards that protect individuals from harm and preserve human autonomy?
Director
Sonja Schmer-Galunder
Sonja Schmer-Galunder is the Glenn and Deborah Renwick Leadership Professor in AI and Ethics at the University of Florida’s Computer and Information Science and Engineering Department. She directs the Renwick Program of AI Ethics and teaches AI Ethics at the Engineering Leadership Institute. Her research focuses on interdisciplinary aspects of human-AI interaction, emphasizing safe and ethical AI systems that respect human values and cultural diversity.
Fellow
Duncan Purves
Duncan Purves is an associate professor in the UF Department of Philosophy and a UF Research Foundation Professor. His research addresses ethical questions that arise when human decision making is assisted or replaced by artificial intelligence-based systems (AI), particularly in law enforcement and military contexts. His research on these topics has been supported by National Science award #1917707.
Fellow
Barbara J. Evans
Barbara J. Evans is Professor of Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and holds a joint appointment in Engineering. Her research focuses on data privacy, AI/ML regulation in healthcare, and genomic technologies. She is part of the NIH Bridge2AI ethics team and is an elected member of the American Law Institute.
Fellow
Bryan Cwik
Professor Cwik teaches medical ethics and research ethics in the College of Medicine. He has a special interest in genetics and in ethical, social, and legal issues about applications of genetics in different areas of medicine. His work has been funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute, and he has published papers on genetics, global health, intellectual property, and other topics.
The Renwick AI and Ethics Program at the Engineering Leadership Institute was established through the vision and generous support of alumni Glenn and Deborah Renwick.
Advisory Board
Ann Sung Ruckstuhl
Global Tech CMO & Board Advisor; former SVP and Chief Marketing Officer, Manhattan Associates
See Bio
† Deceased. Please visit Glenn’s bio page to learn about his history and legacy.