'AI is for everyone:' NC Central opens artificial intelligence institute

North Carolina Central University has opened an artificial intelligence institute. According to the public university, it is the first of its kind at a Historically Black College and University.

The Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research is housed on campus and includes several AI research and training spaces, including: an AI literacy studio; a robotics and emerging tech lab; and an extended reality (XR) experimentation sandbox.

Though the AI institute's campus facility just opened, founding director Siobahn Day Grady said the work behind it has been ongoing for the past year and a half. More than 2,500 people have already been impacted, she said, including students.

The university requires first-year students to take an introductory AI course and is launching a new AI minor in the fall. Faculty also have access to seed grant funding for AI research.

"AI used to be something specifically just for computer scientists, but with AI tools now it's accessible to everyone," Grady said. "We want our campus community to have access to these tools, but also understand how they're developed, the biases involved in them; the pros, but also the harms that it may cause too."

A study by the American Association of Colleges and Universities and Elon University found faculty worry AI will weaken students' critical thinking and erode academic integrity.

But Chancellor Karrie Dixon said as the presence of artificial intelligence grows, it's the university's responsibility to guide students on how to use and shape it.

"Technology moves faster than trust," Dixon said. "What we have to do strategically and intentionally, is to educate our campus community on usage of AI in a responsible and ethical way… it shouldn't replace human judgement, creativity, or critical thinking skills."

NC Central spent more than $7 million to open its AI Institute building, including a mix of federal and university funds and a $1 million investment from Google.

On Monday, Dixon welcomed faculty, students, alumni, and other campus community members to a ribbon cutting of the facility. Several local government leaders were also present, including Congresswoman Valerie Foushee, Durham Mayor Leo Williams, and State Treasurer Brad Briner.

"Our future cannot be built by just a few tech billionaires and CEOs; leaving talented students, researchers, and the next generation of innovators on the sidelines," Foushee said during the ceremony. "That is exactly why this institute matters. It will prepare students for high-demand careers, strengthen research partnerships, support entrepreneurs, and expand access to emerging technologies for communities that too often have been left out of the innovation economy."

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