The University of South Florida announced plans Thursday to launch the first college of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity in the state.
The college, which is still subject to approval by the USF board of trustees, would offer undergraduate and graduate programs in addition to certifications and continuing education options. It would also bring together existing faculty at the university who research AI, cybersecurity and computing.
A USF news release said about 200 USF faculty members are already doing research in related subjects.
The release said the U.S. has seen “a five-fold increase in the demand for AI skills.” It also said last year the National Science Foundation awarded more than $800 million for AI-related research.
In 2020, the University of Florida announced a plan to incorporate AI into the curriculum of every graduating student after a $70 million gift.
“As AI and cybersecurity quickly evolve, the demand for professionals skilled in these areas continues to grow, along with the need for more research to better understand how to utilize powerful new technologies in ways that improve our society,” USF President Rhea Law said in the release. “Through the expertise of our faculty and our strong partnerships with the business community, the University of South Florida is strategically positioned to be a global leader in these fields.”
A task force, including faculty and the provost, was assembled and plans to put out an initial report. University officials hopes to launch the college by fall 2025 and are still exploring what the structure may look like, and if a new dean will be needed.
The task force will seek further input from faculty and other stakeholders, the release said.
USF Provost Prasant Mohapatra said the college would work with industry partners in the Tampa Bay region and nationally.
He said the college will launch with existing faculty who will likely keep joint appointments in their current colleges. The university plans to start recruiting soon, with hopes of recruiting 20 to 25 new faculty. Eventually, he said, they’ll launch a capital campaign for a building.
Faculty from a variety of disciplines will be needed to explore questions of how machine learning can impact society, Mohapatra said.
“AI could as easily get biased because it’s all about learning from a data set, and the data sets are what is being given by us that is deriving the outcome of the decisions,” he said. “The first part is to leverage AI as much as we can to help us make our life better. But on the other side, we have to be careful to use AI in an ethical manner.”
Left unchecked, AI “could lead to disastrous consequences,” he added. “So we really need to be very focused that the adversaries, the bad guys, don’t use the same technology that is giving us benefit in a negative way. We have to really protect the cyberspace against that.”
This is a developing story and may be updated.
Divya Kumar covers higher education for the Tampa Bay Times, in partnership with Open Campus.
Eugen Boglaru is an AI aficionado covering the fascinating and rapidly advancing field of Artificial Intelligence. From machine learning breakthroughs to ethical considerations, Eugen provides readers with a deep dive into the world of AI, demystifying complex concepts and exploring the transformative impact of intelligent technologies.
