Netflix Co-Founder Donates $50 Million to Bowdoin College for AI Initiative

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Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, has received a transformative $50 million gift from Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix and a member of the Giving Pledge. Hastings, a 1983 alumnus of Bowdoin, has earmarked this generous donation for the creation of the Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity.

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This groundbreaking initiative will support the appointment of 10 new faculty members across various disciplines, as well as provide resources for current faculty to integrate AI into their teaching and research. Additionally, the funding will facilitate workshops, symposiums, and student research opportunities

According to Bowdoin President Safa Zaki, “Bowdoin is ideally positioned to meet the challenges and opportunities of AI. Our deep commitment to the liberal arts and the common good positions us to think together about what we are going to value in human cognition and what we will want our AI systems to do—or not do—going forward in service to humanity.”

Reed Hastings emphasised the importance of critically examining the role of AI in society, stating, “Just as Bowdoin’s mission emphasises the formation of complete individuals who can navigate a world in flux, this initiative will empower students and faculty to critically examine, thoughtfully utilise, and ethically shape AI’s trajectory.”

Hastings expressed his confidence in Bowdoin’s ability to make a significant contribution to the discussion surrounding AI, noting, “I know Bowdoin can make a significant contribution to these fundamental issues and that President Zaki, a cognitive scientist, can lead the way.

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