Center on Responsible AI and Governance

Overview

The Center on Responsible AI and Governance (CRAIG) is an NSF-funded Industry–University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) focused on advancing artificial intelligence that is safe, accurate, impartial, and accountable.

CRAIG brings together leading universities—Ohio State, Baylor, Northeastern, and Rutgers—with industry and government partners to develop both the knowledge and workforce needed for responsible AI. 

By improving trust and reliability in AI systems, CRAIG aims to increase adoption while supporting U.S. competitiveness, national security, and societal values. 

Mission

CRAIG’s mission is to:

• Advance trustworthy and responsible AI technologies
• Align AI development with secure, legal, and policy frameworks
• Bridge the gap between academic research and real-world deployment
• Train the next generation of AI professionals and leaders

Baylor University’s Role

Baylor plays a key role in CRAIG through leadership in interdisciplinary research, ethics, and industry collaboration.

Key Baylor Faculty

• Jean Gao – Site Director 
• Carlos Torres – AI governance, security and privacy, and behavioral IT
• Xiao Shou – Machine learning and deep learning systems
• Chen Zhao – Fairness-aware AI and data mining
• Liang Dong – AI in communications and cyber-physical systems 

Baylor contributes to CRAIG’s efforts in integrating technical innovation with secure and governance considerations, ensuring AI solutions are both effective and responsible.

Core Research Areas

CRAIG organizes its research into five key areas:

1. Trustworthy AI Systems
   • Improving robustness, explainability, and reliability
   • Enhancing safety in multimodal and generative AI
2. AI Governance and Policy
   • Developing standards and best practices
   • Evaluating frameworks such as ISO-based governance models
3. AI Auditing and Accountability
   • Tools to assess fairness, bias, and compliance
   • Real-time monitoring of deployed AI systems
4. Privacy and Explainability
   • Privacy-preserving AI methods (e.g., federated learning)
   • Transparent AI for real-world environments
5. Applied AI Ethics
   • Embedding secure reasoning into AI design
   • Addressing trade-offs between fairness, accuracy, and performance 

Workforce Development

CRAIG places strong emphasis on preparing a future-ready AI workforce.

Key initiatives include:

• Interdisciplinary curriculum integrating AI, ethics, law, and business
• Hands-on learning through research projects, internships, and bootcamps
• Mentorship from academic and industry leaders
• Professional and executive education programs

CRAIG aims to create a pipeline from education to real-world impact, connecting students directly with industry opportunities. 

Industry Collaboration

CRAIG operates as a National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry–University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC), a collaborative model designed to bring universities, industry, and government together to accelerate innovation and translate research into real-world impact. 

In an IUCRC, industry partners play a central and active role in shaping the research agenda. Rather than funding isolated projects, member organizations collaborate directly with faculty and researchers across multiple institutions to address shared challenges and develop scalable, practical solutions.

This model allows companies to:

• Pool resources with other members and the NSF to maximize research impact
• Guide research toward industry-relevant problems and outcomes
• Access a multi-university network of expertise and talent
• Bridge the gap between early-stage research and commercial deployment

As a result, CRAIG’s work is practice-informed, collaborative, and immediately applicable, providing a strong foundation for organizations seeking to advance responsible AI in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Why Become a CRAIG Member?

CRAIG is designed as a strategic partnership platform where industry members directly shape and benefit from cutting-edge responsible AI research.

As a Member, Your Organization Will:

• Influence Research Direction
  Help define and prioritize projects aligned with your business needs through the Industry Advisory Board (IAB)
• Access Cutting-Edge Innovation Early
  Gain early access to research results, tools, and intellectual property before broader release
• Leverage Your Investment
  Multiply your R&D impact by combining your contribution with NSF funding and university resources 
• Engage with Top Talent
  Connect directly with highly trained students and researchers prepared to solve real-world AI challenges
• Reduce Risk in AI Adoption
  Collaborate on solutions addressing compliance, governance, cybersecurity, and secure AI deployment
• Accelerate Time-to-Impact
  Bridge the gap between emerging research and practical implementation in your organization

CRAIG enables companies not only to stay ahead of AI innovation, but to do so in a way that is trusted, compliant, and aligned with evolving regulations and market expectations.

Impact (Why CRAIG Matters to Your Organization)

Partnering with CRAIG delivers measurable value across technology, strategy, and risk management:

• Build Trustworthy AI Systems
  Develop AI solutions that customers, regulators, and stakeholders can trust
• Strengthen Competitive Advantage
  Stay ahead of industry trends by shaping the future of responsible AI
• Mitigate Risk and Ensure Compliance
  Address emerging regulatory and secure challenges proactively
• Drive Innovation Responsibly
  Balance cutting-edge AI performance with fairness, transparency, and accountability
• Access a Sustainable Talent Pipeline
  Recruit professionals trained specifically in responsible AI practices
• Translate Research into Business Value
  Turn academic breakthroughs into scalable, real-world solutions

Through its integrated research and workforce model, CRAIG helps organizations adopt AI with confidence, unlocking innovation while managing risk and maintaining public trust. 

CRAIG has confirmed strong national partners- Cisco, Meta, Ford, Honda Research Institute, Merck, Nationwide, Bread Financial, Cardinal Health, and Worthington Steel.