Bard Scholar Suzanne Kite Named Codirector of the Abundant Intelligences Research Program
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—Suzanne Kite, distinguished artist in residence, assistant professor of American and Indigenous Studies, and director of the Wihanble S’a Center for Indigenous AI at Bard College, has been named codirector of Abundant Intelligences, an Indigenous-led research program that conceptualizes, designs, develops, and deploys Artificial Intelligence based on Indigenous knowledge systems. In this position, which will last for a term of four years, Kite will help lead the program operations, with a particular focus on how to increase support for the creators and scholars of the organization as they pursue their individual research projects.“I am elated to continue to support students, staff, and colleagues at Bard and internationally in pursuit of ethical ways of making new things together,” said Dr. Suzanne Kite.
Abundant Intelligences is supported by a Transformation grant in the amount of $23 million from the New Frontiers in Research Fund and a $2.5 million SSHRC Partnership Grant, both bestowed by the Canadian government. The program’s Indigenous-led, Indigenous-majority research team collaborates with world-class experts in AI research and development. The program unites 8 universities and 12 Indigenous community-based organizations from North America, the Pacific Islands, and New Zealand to develop novel approaches to conceptualizing, designing, implementing and deploying AI to support the flourishing of Indigenous communities. The program also aims to integrate and adapt existing methods for creating AI into Indigenous Knowledge systems, as well as find ways to use the knowledge generated to help guide the development of AI generally towards a more humane future. To learn more, please visit abundant-intelligences.net.
“Dr. Kite is one of our key co-investigators,” says Jason Lewis, professor of computation arts at Concordia University and codirector at Abundant Intelligences. “The lab she founded at Bard, Wihanble S’a Center, is one of the six main research nodes for the entire project. She is one of the co-founders of the field of Indigenous AI, having co-authored the seminal text in the field (“Making Kin with the Machines”). We look forward to working with her further to help solve the challenge of designing and developing Indigenous-centered AI systems that make for better computational technologies for everyone.”
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About Bard College
Founded in 1860, Bard College is a four-year, residential college of the liberal arts and sciences located 90 miles north of New York City. With the addition of the Montgomery Place estate, Bard’s campus consists of nearly 1,000 parklike acres in the Hudson River Valley. It offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of music degrees, with majors in more than 40 academic programs; graduate degrees in 13 programs; eight early colleges; and numerous dual-degree programs nationally and internationally. Building on its 163-year history as a competitive and innovative undergraduate institution, Bard College has expanded its mission as a private institution acting in the public interest across the country and around the world to meet broader student needs and increase access to liberal arts education. The undergraduate program at our main campus in upstate New York has a reputation for scholarly excellence, a focus on the arts, and civic engagement. Bard is committed to enriching culture, public life, and democratic discourse by training tomorrow’s thought leaders. For more information about Bard College, visit bard.edu.
Founded in 1860, Bard College is a four-year, residential college of the liberal arts and sciences located 90 miles north of New York City. With the addition of the Montgomery Place estate, Bard’s campus consists of nearly 1,000 parklike acres in the Hudson River Valley. It offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of music degrees, with majors in more than 40 academic programs; graduate degrees in 13 programs; eight early colleges; and numerous dual-degree programs nationally and internationally. Building on its 163-year history as a competitive and innovative undergraduate institution, Bard College has expanded its mission as a private institution acting in the public interest across the country and around the world to meet broader student needs and increase access to liberal arts education. The undergraduate program at our main campus in upstate New York has a reputation for scholarly excellence, a focus on the arts, and civic engagement. Bard is committed to enriching culture, public life, and democratic discourse by training tomorrow’s thought leaders. For more information about Bard College, visit bard.edu.
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This event was last updated on 11-10-2025
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