To capitalize on the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence (AI) and The Ohio State University’s focus on becoming a national leader in the field, the College of Arts and Sciences has launched BuckAI Observatory, a new center of excellence dedicated to applied AI for earth and planetary observation.

Led by Joachim Moortgat, a professor in the School of Earth Sciences, BuckAI Observatory advances Ohio State’s leadership in artificial intelligence by integrating cutting-edge AI algorithms with remote-sensing science and other data rich-domains. The center’s mission includes driving research excellence, providing shared cyberinfrastructure and expertise, cultivating interdisciplinary collaboration, educating the next generation of researchers, and engaging the broader community through outreach and policy involvement.

“This is a very exciting opportunity that will significantly elevate Ohio State’s reputation in AI research and education,” Moortgat said. “I am grateful for the vision of our deans and college leadership for making this opportunity possible, as well as all the faculty and students who have championed it.”

Housed in Mendenhall Laboratory, BuckAI Observatory will support AI research in the arts and sciences, with a special focus on remote sensing, satellite imagery and planetary observation. Seed funding from Ohio State will help Moortgat and his colleagues establish cyberinfrastructure for AI research, provide technical support for investigators engaged in AI research, and offer a physical space for innovation in data visualization in Mendenhall Lab. Additional plans include stakeholder workshops, coding bootcamps and funding for undergraduate researchers who will help generate training data for future AI models.

“There’s a lot of exciting discussion around AI research and teaching, including the AI Fluency initiative on our campus,” said David Horn, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “We're always looking for opportunities to push boundaries, whether by doing something no one else is doing or by acting more boldly and quickly. The observatory is a perfect example of this, leveraging our college’s strengths in geo-sensing and related fields.” 

The BuckAI Observatory team will build on their faculty’s success in research commercialization and technology transfer, collaborating with the college’s Office of Industry Partnerships and Research Collaborations in addition to Ohio State’s Innovation and Commercialization team.