Researchers from across the country convened at Brown University on Nov. 20–21 to officially launch a new National Science Foundation–funded AI research institute, and the University of New Mexico is proud to be part of this major national effort. UNM recently issued a subaward to support the AI Research Institute on Interaction for AI Assistants (ARIA), a multi-institution initiative designed to advance the next generation of AI systems that can interact with people in trustworthy, sensitive, and context-aware ways.

Announced in July, ARIA is backed by a five-year, $20 million grant from the NSF. The institute is led by Ellie Pavlick, associate professor of computer science at Brown University, and brings together researchers spanning computer science, psychology, neuroscience, and related fields. With UNM’s participation, led by Computer Science Professor Melanie Moses and Law Professor Sonia Gipson Rankin, ARIA is positioned to tackle some of the most pressing questions around how AI assistants can better understand human needs and communicate responsibly in real-world settings.

During the kickoff event, researchers from partner institutions including Colby College, Dartmouth College, Carnegie Mellon University, UC San Diego, UNM, and others shared brief presentations that mapped out ARIA’s guiding research directions. UNM’s involvement strengthens the institute’s interdisciplinary reach and underscores the university’s growing footprint in human-centered AI research, particularly in areas where technology and wellbeing intersect. UNM will also help to lead the ARIA Institute’s focus on participatory design so that future AI is shaped by the needs of New Mexico communities.

Researchers also highlighted the importance of trustworthiness, especially for AI used in sensitive contexts like mental health. One emerging goal of ARIA is to explore a Consumer Reports–style framework for evaluating trustworthy AI in mental health applications—an area where UNM’s expertise and community-oriented research perspectives will be especially valuable.

Through this subaward and continued collaboration, UNM looks forward to contributing to ARIA’s mission and helping set new national standards for human-centered, reliable AI assistants.