Smith School professors earned AI research seed grants from UMD’s AIM Institute. Louiqa Raschid and Eaman Jahani will use AI for public health; Lauren Rhue will explore legal limits of AI-generated content. AIM awarded 22 grants across interdisciplinary categories.

Joseph Reiff, assistant professor of marketing, co-invented The Retirement Visualizer™, an AI tool using GPT and DALL·E to help individuals vividly imagine retirement goals. By making the future feel tangible, it aims to boost motivation and increase retirement savings.

The Smith School hosted UMD’s first university-wide AI case competition, challenging students to use artificial intelligence to tackle food insecurity. Partnering with Capital Area Food Bank, the event drew 100+ students who developed AI prototypes to address real-world issues.

Startup Bazaar, held April 12 at the Smith School, showcased the state’s tech ecosystem and featured leaders including Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller. The event highlighted Smith’s role in innovation, entrepreneurship and AI, and drew strong participation from startups and state officials.

Launching May 1, 2025, the University of Maryland’s Smith School will offer a free, online AI and Career Empowerment Certificate to help federal workers and others build AI literacy, explore job opportunities, and navigate career transitions with expert guidance.

Professors Siva Viswanathan, Balaji Padmanabhan, and PhD student Yizhi Liu at UMD’s Smith School developed a patent-pending deepfake method to detect and mitigate bias in decision-making. Their study shows how AI-generated images can improve fairness in hiring, healthcare, and criminal justice.

A study by Smith professor Michael Trusov and Sanghwa Kim finds South Korean consumers spend more on hedonic goods when air pollution rises, seeking mood-lifting purchases. Published in the Journal of Marketing, the research suggests implications for marketers and policymakers in responsible consumer engagement.

Sean Cao, director of the Smith AI Initiative, has researched blockchain’s role in financial auditing for six years. His study, published in Management Science (2024), explores how permissioned blockchains enhance reporting integrity, reduce costs by 70%, and improve data privacy.

AI job postings in the U.S. surged 68% since ChatGPT’s launch, despite a 17% decline in overall job postings. UMD-LinkUp AI Maps, led by Smith’s Anil K. Gupta, reveals AI’s rise as firms prioritize AI roles over traditional IT jobs.

Professors Balaji Padmanabhan and Tejwansh (Tej) Singh Anand led the Smith School’s AI in Business Case Competition, where 120+ students tackled real-world problems using AI. Multidisciplinary teams developed innovative, ethical solutions for industry clients, showcasing critical skills and creativity.