On September 26, R/AI hosted the inaugural forum of the New York AI Exchange, a new initiative designed to strengthen New York’s AI ecosystem by bringing together voices from education, research, policy, industry, and the public. Conceived under the leadership of Julia Stoyanovich and operated by R/AI, the Exchange is a partnership between R/AI and the City University of New York (CUNY) Office of the Dean for Tech and Computing, connecting New York’s AI community with broader national and global developments shaping the field.

The launch event, Shaping the Future of AI Education, convened more than 80 participants—including educators, policymakers, funders, librarians, and community leaders—to discuss the role of AI education, training, and literacy in building a thriving and responsible AI ecosystem. Co-convened by Julia Stoyanovich (NYU) and Aankit Patel (CUNY), the forum focused on four themes: higher education, practitioner training, AI literacy, and AI infrastructures.

Participants represented a wide range of organizations across the city, including the Urban Assembly, Marcy Lab School, United Federation of Teachers, BetaNYC, the New York Jobs CEO Council, the New York Hall of Science, and public library systems across New York City. Representatives from Empire AI, TechNYC, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and several academic institutions—including NYU, CUNY, SUNY, and Columbia University—also joined the discussion, alongside New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez and Assembly Member Alex Bores.

The New York AI Exchange serves as an ongoing forum for dialogue, collaboration, and action around the societal impact of AI, advancing education, workforce development, and responsible innovation across New York and beyond.