AI-Enhanced Creative Problem-Solving Tools for Higher Education and the Workforce
William Yates
Project Team- • Co-Principal Investigator Gerard Puccio, Ph.D., SUNY Buffalo State
• Collaborator Deepa Deshpande, Ph.D., Associate Director, Center for Innovation and Teaching Excellence, SUNY Alfred State College of Technology.
• Collaborator Siva Visveswaran, Director, Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center, SUNY Monroe Community College.
• Collaborator Sen Zhang Ph.D., Professor of Computer Science Department of Math, Computer Science and Statistics, SUNY Oneonta.
• Collaborator Alireza Dalili, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology, SUNY Farmingdale State College
• Collaborator Maryam Badrizadeh, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Business Management, SUNY Farmingdale State College,
Buffalo State College
2025
IITG
$49,266.00
This project, led by the Center for Applied Imagination at SUNY Buffalo State, addresses the growing need for creative thinking and AI literacy in higher education. Recognizing AI and creative thinking as critical workplace skills, the initiative blends Buffalo State’s expertise in creativity training with advanced AI technologies. The project will develop customized large language model (LLM) bots integrated into an interactive guide that leads users through the Creative Problem-Solving (CPS) Process. Students will engage with AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude to enhance their creative problem-solving abilities across disciplines like computer science, robotics, business management, and electrical engineering. The initiative promotes collaboration among multiple SUNY institutions to evaluate and train discipline-specific AI bots. Long-term, the project aims to make these tools available as open educational resources under a Creative Commons License, fostering broader access to AI-assisted creativity training for educators, students, entrepreneurs, and organizational leaders.
Project currently ongoing