Emerging from a year marked by budget cuts and leadership upheaval, the University of Nebraska new AI Institute is staking a bold claim: the Cornhusker State intends to help shape the future of artificial intelligence.
In a university-wide email Monday, NU President Jeffrey Gold announced the launch of the “University of Nebraska AI Institute,” a system-wide initiative designed to expand artificial intelligence research and application across disciplines ranging from health care and agriculture to national security and business.
Gold said the institute will “position Nebraska as a national leader in shaping the future of responsible, human-centered artificial intelligence.”
Hub-and-Spoke Model Across Campuses
The university described the new entity as operating under a “hub-and-spoke model,” coordinating AI research, instruction and community engagement throughout the university system. The structure is intended to harness the distinct strengths of each campus while consolidating Nebraska’s presence as a serious player in AI innovation.
The institute will be co-directed by University of Nebraska–Lincoln faculty members Santosh Pitla, a professor of biological systems engineering, and Adrian Wisnicki, a professor of English — a pairing that reflects the initiative’s cross-disciplinary ambitions.
Its formation follows recommendations from the NU AI Task Force, a faculty-led group charged with crafting a system-wide strategy for how the university should deploy artificial intelligence in research, teaching, service and outreach.
