The AI University Initiative

Since the 1960s, technology has driven significant change in the way populations live and work.

Modern society has entered a Fourth Industrial Revolution in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) has catalyzed stunning levels of technological development across virtually all industries. UF’s newest multidisciplinary initiative, the UF AI University Initiative — guided and supported by principal partners like NVIDIA and its co-founder Chris Malachowsky (B.S. UF ECE ’80) — will leverage the exceptional breadth and depth of resources contained within the university’s 16 colleges and serve as a national model for AI research, technological advancement and next-generation workforce training, ranging from K-12 through working professionals.

The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering is already ahead of the curve in establishing research and education programs around the core pillars of AI, including: collecting mass quantities of multi-modal data; processing and converting that data to actionable information; and physically acting on that information to impact our quality of life and national economy. Additionally, with more than 120 faculty currently actively working with AI Technology, the college is the critical programmatic backbone in this lofty university-wide endeavor. In the pages listed on this website, it is evident that this comprehensive programmatic structure uniquely positions the college to leverage an unmatched assortment of resources through the AI University Initiative. Some of them include:

  • The Warren B. Nelms Institute for the Connected World: a global leader in research and education in all aspects of the intelligent connection of things, processes, people, and data that address major world challenges.
  • The Florida Institute for Cybersecurity Research, better known as FICS: the nation’s premier multidisciplinary research institute in the advancement of cybersecurity as a basis for long-term partnership and collaboration among industry, academia and government. Specializing in the security and protection of data and systems (Cybersecurity) that is of critical importance in the advancement of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and all the benefits it brings to humankind.
  • NSF Center for Big Learning (CBL): founded on a vision of creating intelligence and leveraging collective wisdom from academia, industry and governments in large-scale deep learning (DL), intelligent platforms and DL-enabled big data applications in a broad spectrum of disciplines, the CBL is able to process massive data sets to produce immediately actionable information.
  • The college’s wide realm of programs focusing on converting information to action, including iClassroom, which transforms the way students learn, to cyber-physical systems such as advanced manufacturing and the UF Transportation Institute (UFTI) which deploys advanced technologies with connected and autonomous vehicles, smart devices and sensors; and finally, utilize actionable information in real world applications through Robotics, Automation, Networked Devices and Systems and Next-generation Education.

With outstanding expertise and resources, every UF graduate from across all disciplines will be empowered with an exceptional level of digital literacy and equipped to apply AI techniques regardless of their chosen field of study. The Herbert Wertheim of College of Engineering has a critical role to play as UF and the State of Florida takes its place as a leader in preparing society for AI and digital literacy.