Thought Summits @ Cornell
Shaping the Future of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
Thought Summits are dynamic forums hosted at Cornell University that bring together leaders and innovators to spark innovative collaborations in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.
Upcoming Summits
Adapting to Climate Uncertainty through AI-Enabled Microbial System Design
December 8 - December 10 at Cornell University – Ithaca, NYThis Thought Summit will bring together researchers across AI, microbial systems, climate resilience, infrastructure, materials engineering, and agriculture to explore AI-driven design of engineered microbial communities. The convening will identify promising research directions, applications, and collaborations around climate resilience, including flood protection, resilient crops, housing, and a...
AI for Animal Communication
March 29, 2027 - April 2, 2027 at Cornell University – Ithaca, NYImagine a visitor from another planet listening to Earth without knowing any language. What in the sound alone would tell them that humans speak and other animals do not? This is a real scientific problem, and it is now becoming tractable. Large datasets and AI powered tools are revealing structure in vocalizations of socially sophisticated animals like cetaceans, bats and birds that have defied c...
Building Bridges Towards Worker-Centered Design, Implementation, and Governance of AI
Date TBD
As artificial intelligence reshapes workplaces across industries, ensuring that its benefits are shared broadly and equitably has become an urgent challenge. This Thought Summit will bring together researchers, policymakers, labor leaders, industry practitioners, and other stakeholders to explore how AI can be developed and deployed in ways that support workers, strengthen organizations, and promote democratic values.
AI and Formal Methods
Date TBD
This summit will convene leading scientists from AI, programming languages, formal verification, systems, mathematics, theoretical physics, and theoretical CS to forge a timely and necessary research agenda: the integration of AI methods with formal methods to drive scientific progress across the theoretical sciences. Experts from different disciplines have different needs, concerns, and perspectives on formal methods, so bringing these communities together will facilitate transfer of knowledge and techniques between domains.
HUMAN AI Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Thinking
Date TBD
This interdisciplinary Thought Summit will examine how AI is reconfiguring education across three domains: cognition and learning, creative practices, and evaluation and institutional knowledge systems. Unlike prior technologies, AI actively shapes reasoning and creativity, raising tensions between expanding capabilities and diminishing critical thinking. The summit will integrate cognition, creative practice, and evaluation to address AI’s impact on learning.
Previous Summits
Building Benchmarks for AI-Driven Veterinary Innovation
June 9 - June 11This summit will bring together experts from veterinary medicine, computer science, ethics, and law to tackle the unique challenges of creating standardized, high-quality datasets tailored to veterinary needs.
Community-Centered AI
May 18 - May 20Bringing together researchers, practitioners, and community members, the three-day convening will tackle AI's core problem – its massive carbon footprint, displacement of local expertise, and violations of community consent – through collaborative workshops, participatory algorithm auditing, and solution-generating discussions.
Data Science to Build Resilience and Improve Humanitarian Response
May 11 - May 15By connecting philanthropies and the private sector with Cornell expertise across computer, information, natural and social sciences, the summit aims to spark new research, collaborations, and funding pathways that bring cutting-edge data tools into real-world humanitarian decision-making.
Each summit is a fully funded, 3–5 day symposium generally held on Cornell’s Ithaca campus. A select group of Cornell faculty convenes with approximately 20 distinguished experts from academia, government, industry, and non-profit sectors.
Together, they explore bold ideas, identify emerging research frontiers, and lay the groundwork for transformative, multi-institutional partnerships.
Why Thought Summits Matter
Catalyzing Innovation
By uniting diverse perspectives, Thought Summits uncover novel intersections between AI, Data Science, and real-world challenges.
Driving Impact
Each summit produces a strategic whitepaper that serves as a launchpad for large-scale, externally funded research initiatives.
Building Community
These gatherings foster lasting relationships across institutions and sectors, accelerating the pace of discovery and application.
News & Information
Thought Summits for the 2025-2026 academic year have been reviewed, awarded, and scheduled. Thank you to all who submitted proposals.
Summit Outcomes
The Thought Summits convene visionary leaders, researchers, and innovators to explore the frontiers of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. We have gathered the key outcomes of these gatherings — white papers and strategic insights that capture the collective expertise and forward-thinking solutions generated during the summits.
Whether you’re a researcher, policymaker, or industry leader, Thought Summits offer a unique opportunity to shape the future of intelligent systems and data-driven solutions
Want to get involved?
Ready to chart the future? All Cornell University faculty are invited to apply. The next call for proposals will open in February 2027.