Stony Brook University’s Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT), together with the New York State Digital Equity Network (NYSDEN), hosted the second annual NYSDEN Conference on August 5. The event, titled “Advancing Access Through Collective Advocacy,” focused on strategies for closing the digital divide in New York.
More than 100 stakeholders attended, including elected officials, nonprofit leaders, workforce and healthcare professionals, digital equity practitioners, funders, and municipal agencies. The conference featured presentations from subject matter experts and panel discussions on topics such as funding, artificial intelligence (AI), accessibility, workforce integration, and coalition-building. Participants emphasized the need for collective advocacy and policy support to address gaps in digital access.
“We have a lot going on in AI research at Stony Brook, but we’re actually pioneering the world in quantum internet, which is the next generation of internet,” said Stony Brook Chief Innovation Officer Michael Kinch. “Even though we are in difficult times, we’ve doubled down on our commitment to address these challenges.”
Revati Prasad, executive director of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, addressed attendees as keynote speaker. “Digital equity is not a technological challenge, it is a political one,” Prasad said. “The communities most affected by the digital divide — Black, brown, indigenous, low-income, rural people with disabilities — are the same communities that have long been underrepresented in decision-making spaces. It’s not just that broadband hasn’t been built in these communities. It’s that the people who live there haven’t had a voice in how policy is made, or in how resources are allocated, or in what success looks like.”
Josh Breitbart of ConnectALL at Empire State Development discussed efforts underway across New York to expand both physical infrastructure and digital literacy programs. “We’ve already built thousands of miles of new fiberoptic infrastructure that reaches from the urban areas to the most rural areas, and we’re working to serve the remaining locations in the state that do not have a reliable connection,” said Breitbart. “There’s also an equally essential social component to the infrastructure so that everyone is engaged with and contributing to the internet, and benefiting from it for education, economic opportunity, health, access to government services, and civic engagement. That is digital equity.”
Breitbart noted that ConnectALL—mandated by state law—is overseeing more than $1 billion invested statewide into expanding broadband access through initiatives targeting underserved rural and urban communities.
“The work that you do to close the digital divide has never been more important as AI quantum technologies accelerate technological transformation,” Breitbart said. “It is truly a mistake that digital equity is not a priority at the federal level, but digital equity is a priority for the state of New York.”
Panelists addressed issues surrounding AI adoption among nonprofits during morning sessions. Liam Albright from Cornell University commented on organizational readiness: “It isn’t necessarily a question of whether organizations are ready and willing,” said Albright. “There’s such a massive push for AI tools that they have to be ready. Everything from Microsoft and Amazon and Google incorporates AI at almost every level of those products. So the time is now.”
CJ Banks of Villa Maria College compared preparing organizations for AI integration to parenting: “Asking if you’re ready to engage AI is almost like asking if you are ready to be a parent,” Banks said. “So the question is not if they’re ready but are they willing? Because there’s got to be a lot of learning…if we’re not ready as organizations then the communities that need us are not going to be ready either.”
Matthew Salzano from Stony Brook’s School of Communication and Journalism shared his perspective: “As someone new to the digital equity space it was inspiring to learn about leadership New York state has taken…My hope is that Stony Brook continues to be a key part of this coalition especially as AI will continue to change how we relate to technology—with inequitable impacts.”
Kinch reflected on his own experience growing up with limited educational opportunities: “But I had access to television which gave me access to Schoolhouse Rock…Decades later I got out and became a scientist…now it’s internet access across state and world delivering knowledge…And knowledge truly is power.”
Rong Zhao from CEWIT concluded: “AI is reshaping every corner of our daily lives…we must meet this moment by opening doors through opportunities like hackathons…The promise of AI will only be realized if we commit to equity…By working together—teachers students community leaders researchers entrepreneurs—we can ensure that AI literacy and access are not privileges but pathways open to every student everywhere.”
