The University of Iowa is building a campuswide strategy for artificial intelligence that will guide how it coordinates and strengthens efforts across teaching, research, and public engagement. 

"AI is transforming the way we learn, discover, and relate to one another," says President Barbara Wilson. "As a public research university, we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to help shape how these technologies are used. Our focus is on preparing people to lead in an AI-enabled world while ensuring these tools strengthen, rather than replace, the human expertise at the heart of our mission."

The strategy already is starting to take shape. The university recently launched ai.uiowa.edu as a home for AI resources, policies, and guidance for every role at Iowa. This fall, Iowa officially welcomed its first students into the new undergraduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence. 

“All of us are entering a world where artificial intelligence will influence our work in some way,” says Kevin Kregel, executive vice president and provost. "We are committed to ensuring students develop the critical thinking, ethical judgment, and disciplinary expertise needed to help shape the future use of these technologies at Iowa.”

What makes Iowa’s approach distinctive

The university will approach AI using three core components:

• Engaging with AI across every discipline. Artificial intelligence is transforming every field, and Iowa will prepare students and scholars to engage with it responsibly, ethically, and thoughtfully wherever their work takes them.
• Ensuring responsible and evolving expertise. Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, and the expertise of faculty, staff, and students must evolve with it.
• Amplifying human potential. AI has the potential to enhance human creativity, insight, and impact. Iowa will explore responsible ways to use technological capability to advance human expertise, not replace it. 

"Faculty across the university are already exploring how AI can enhance teaching, research, and creative work in ways that make sense for their disciplines," says Barry Thomas, associate provost for faculty and strategic operations. "Our role is to provide the guidance, opportunities, and support that help those efforts grow in the right direction."

In the classroom, educating students on responsible and effective use of AI is already being incorporated into multiple levels of the undergraduate experience. Rhetoric faculty have added an AI literacy component to their courses, meaning nearly every new undergraduate will discuss AI in their first year. Instructors who want to build AI into their courses can receive guidance, apply for funding, or participate in workshops and pilot programs from units such as the Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology or the Center for Teaching. 

The AI Discovery Initiative is a three-year, $1 million P3 project designed to help faculty and staff explore how AI can support their research. Each year, up to 120 projects will receive credits for protected access to leading AI platforms, including agentic tools that can write code, analyze data, automate workflows, and build applications. The initiative also will provide faculty with training, mentorship, and computing resources, and help departments and colleges bring nationally recognized scholars to campus for a lecture series.

Beyond the classroom and lab, the UI is creating opportunities to examine AI’s broader impact. A new AI and Society Panel Series will bring together researchers, practitioners, students, and community members to discuss how AI is impacting health care, law, work, education, and the environment.

"Our goal is to make AI both accessible and trustworthy," says Brad Rohrer, associate vice president and chief information officer. "That means providing secure tools, thoughtful guidance, and the infrastructure that allows faculty, staff, and students to innovate with confidence."