In the world of AI, experts frequently discuss so-called “scaling laws,” which describe how large language models (LLMs) grow exponentially more powerful as their training data increases.
While recent research suggests that scaling laws may have reached a point of diminishing returns, AI Month at Penn Engineering shows no signs of slowing down.
Now in its second year, AI Month scaled up to include everything from events featuring luminaries like Meta’s Yann LeCun and NVIDIA’s Bill Dally to alumni panels and research seminars.
Focused on the relationship between AI and human well-being, AI Month 2025 gave members of the Penn community — and the broader AI world — a chance to see how Penn Engineering is helping shape the future of this rapidly evolving field.
Connecting Disciplines to Advance AI
Just as AI blends multiple disciplines — from computer science to electrical engineering, mechanical engineering to mathematics, cognitive science to philosophy — AI Month brought together experts in a wide range of domains.
The National Science Foundation Artificial Intelligence-driven RNA BioFoundry (NSF AIRFoundry) welcomed undergraduates for lab tours, lectures and a poster session, showing how researchers at Penn and the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, are leveraging AI to push the frontier of RNA.
Penn President J. Larry Jameson joined members of Penn’s AI Council, bringing together faculty from Penn Engineering, the Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Arts & Sciences, Wharton and the Annenberg School for Communication, to discuss the University’s approach to AI.
Perry World House hosted a workshop on AI governance organized by the Wharton Accountable AI Lab, convening faculty from Penn Engineering, Wharton, Penn Carey Law and Annenberg, focusing on challenges in AI policy.
And Penn Engineering Entrepreneurship (EENT) invited experts from a wide range of companies to discuss how generative AI is affecting firms today.
Highlighting AI’s Real-World Impact
In addition to bringing together a wide range of perspectives on AI, leveraging Penn Engineering’s partnerships both inside and beyond the University, AI Month invited participants to explore not only the technical and theoretical side of AI, but also its tangible, real-world impact.
Yann LeCun, Meta’s Chief AI Scientist and a Turing Award winner, spoke with Michael Kearns, National Center Professor of Management & Technology in Computer and Information Science and Founding Director of the Warren Center for Network and Data Sciences, drawing hundreds of attendees to a discussion about the evolution of deep learning.
Rajeev Misra (ME’85, GEng’86, PAR’28), CEO and Co-Founder of One Investment Management, highlighted AI-related trends in the world of venture investing.
And Penn Engineering alumni at firms as varied as Apple and AMD shared how AI is shaping their work today — and what students should know as they enter the field.
A New Home for AI and Data Science
AI Month also served to showcase the recently opened Amy Gutmann Hall, Penn Engineering’s new home for data science and AI.
The building’s unique features — from its exposed mass timber beams to its south-facing floor-to-ceiling windows — underscored the School’s investment in research and teaching in AI, and provided a vibrant setting for numerous events.
Revisit Highlights from AI Month 2025
Alumni and friends of Penn Engineering can watch Yann LeCun’s fireside chat with Michael Kearns, and listen to the latest episode of Penn Engineering’s podcast Impact & Innovation, which features LeCun and Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean.
Penn Engineering Today and Penn Today also published a number of AI Month-exclusive stories and social media posts:
Stories:
- AI Month Preview
- AI Across Disciplines Event Recap
- Amazon Web Services Funds Penn AI Researchers
- The PRECISE Center’s Zixuan Yi Advances AI for Data Science
- Penn Engineers First to Train AI at Lightspeed
- Penn Undergraduate Club Supports Student AI Researchers
- Meet Jean, Penn Engineering Online’s AI-Powered Tutor
- Penn Expands Computing Capacity for Research (Penn Today)
Social Media Posts:
- Yann LeCun Event
- Alumni Panel
- Philosophy, Cognitive Science and Computer Science Panel
- AI Infrastructure Workshop
- Generative AI Panel at Penn Engineering Entrepreneurship 25th Anniversary Conference
- Penn AI Governance Workshop
- Fireside Chat with Rajeev Misra
- Penn AI Initiative Launch
- Frontiers in Science: Engineering RNA and AI
Looking Ahead:
On Thursday, May 1, Bill Dally, NVIDIA’s chief scientist and vice president of research, will join a Penn Engineering-led panel on energy-efficient AI. Register here.
To stay up to date on all things AI at Penn Engineering, and to learn more about future AI events, sign up for the Penn Engineering AI newsletter and follow Penn Engineering AI on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Tiktok at @PennEngAI.