Artificial intelligence is rapidly emerging as a paradigm-shifting technology, with wide-ranging (yet often unclear) impacts on education and beyond. It’s a moment unlike any other in history, but it’s also a moment UW–Madison is seeking to meet through innovation, collaboration, and a dedication to improving lives.
That was the message delivered on June 24 by three of the university’s deans during the Badgers in Tech: Shaping an AI-Driven Future event in Milwaukee, hosted in conjunction with the Summerfest Tech conference. The event—organized by the Wisconsin School of Business, College of Engineering, and new College of Computing & Artificial Intelligence—was the culmination of a three-city tour, with previous stops in San Francisco and Chicago.
During a wide-ranging panel discussion, the three deans fielded questions from local tech professionals and alumni, provided insights into how their schools are approaching AI implementation, and discussed efforts to harness the technology to solve some of the most complex challenges facing Wisconsin, the nation, and the world.
Humans come first
At a time when the national discourse tends to steer towards AI’s broad impact on wide swaths of society, all three leaders stressed their approaches to AI implementation start from a place of humanity and individual empowerment.
“A lot of what we’re thinking about … is how AI tools these days can take what you do and the knowledge you have and make it so that you can go further and faster,” said Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau, founding dean of College of Computing & Artificial Intelligence. “We’re starting with people and training them so they have deep knowledge, and when they use these tools, they can really amplify what they’re doing.”
That said, tools and technologies are advancing rapidly, and as the Class of 2030 prepares to start classes this fall, it can be hard to predict what the world will look like when they toss their graduation caps up into the air. That’s why colleges like WSB are working to equip each student with a growth mindset and giving them opportunities to cultivate adaptability through curricular activities, experiential learning, and lifelong learning.
“We’re preparing our graduates for a world of continual upskilling and reskilling,” said Vallabh “Samba” Sambamurthy, WSB’s Albert O. Nicholas Dean. “We also know that increasingly, people will become orchestrators. They will be orchestrating AI agents, they will be orchestrating tools. Those fundamental durable skills like curiosity, critical thinking, and communication—those are eternal and will still be valuable, but how do we embed them with AI? That’s going to be our mission.”
Serving the state
Beyond preparing and empowering UW–Madison students, each dean is thinking about how their college’s collective AI expertise can be used in service to all residents of Wisconsin.
Initiatives like WSB’s Wisconsin Business Partnership or Engineering’s Project 72 have recently launched to help meet the needs of individuals and businesses across the state by working to identify their challenges and match them with university resources. That’s extra important as, for example, state businesses look to upskill their employees with AI skills to remain competitive and manufacturing firms seek new methods of AI integration to drive innovations and create the jobs of the future.
“That’s part of the mission and that’s really close to our hearts. That’s the Wisconsin Idea we talk about,” said Devesh Ranjan (MS ’05, PhD ’07), Grainger Dean at the College of Engineering. “We want to live that every day on campus.”
Adds Arpaci-Dusseau: “We’re ready to engage very broadly. We go into that process not just with our ideas but with our ears open to hear what’s going on in the world. That helps shape our educational mission, our research mission, and our broader societal mission.”
Going global
“The whole campus is recognizing there’s a significant technological shift going on and the university is leaning into it,” said Arpaci-Dusseau. But perhaps what’s most remarkable is how the university’s unique and diverse schools and colleges have approached the moment in a collaborative way that plays to the university’s existing strengths.
“UW–Madison is meeting the moment of AI really being a connective fiber, not an independent fiber,” said Sambamurthy. “We’re known for life sciences, we’re known for humanities, we’re known for technology, and those are eternal. AI is enveloped by these strengths which means that we are much better connected rather than siloed, and that’s what gets me excited about our new horizons.”
One exciting example that Ranjan points to is the College of Engineering’s “Moonshots” initiative, which aims to solve some of the planet’s most challenging issues—from curing chronic diseases to developing truly scalable clean energy—through research, technology like AI, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
“We’re thinking about challenges which are too big for Engineering to solve on its own, but you can partner with other disciplines to solve those,” said Ranjan. “We have the opportunity to serve as a glue and really work across campus doing bigger things, and that has a multiplier effect.”
Get to know Badgers in Tech! Join the community by visiting the Badgers in Tech webpage and LinkedIn group. This network of UW–Madison alumni in the tech industry offers opportunities to connect with fellow Badgers, stay updated on upcoming events, and explore opportunities for career growth and collaboration.