The University at Buffalo Department of Philosophy is launching what will be the first PhD program in applied ontology. . It will be a fully online, asynchronous program, and it will enroll students starting this fall. A press release from the University contextualizes applied ontology in terms of its importance for the development and use of artificial intelligence: How artificial intelligence (AI) will affect different careers in the future remains a matter of conjecture, but one thing is certain: AI development requires applied ontologists. Ontology is a foundational philosophical discipline. Applied ontology uses the ideas and methods of its namesake to integrate data and promote interoperability across computing systems. By structuring otherwise unrelated terms and definitions, ontologists make explicit the implicit meanings buried across such systems, drawing out hidden insights and new knowledge. The department introduced an online Master’s degree in applied ontology last year. You can learn more about the study of applied ontology at Buffalo here, and more about applied ontology at the website of the National Center for Ontological Research, also at Buffalo.

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