The University of Nebraska is joining the national push around artificial intelligence with the launch of a systemwide AI Institute, an initiative designed to bring research, teaching and public engagement under one coordinated vision.
Announced Feb. 9, 2026, the institute positions Nebraska as a player in shaping what university leaders call responsible, human-centered AI.
The institute will span the University of Nebraska’s four campuses — Kearney, Lincoln, the Medical Center and Omaha — and focus on areas that reflect the state’s priorities: health care, agriculture, rural and urban development, business and national security. Organized as a hub-and-spoke model, it will align campus strengths while creating a unified strategy for AI research, workforce training and community partnerships.
Santosh Pitla, a professor of biological systems engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and one of the institute’s co-directors, said the effort is rooted in practical problem-solving and ethical responsibility.
“Artificial intelligence is most powerful when it is grounded in real problems, informed by diverse expertise and developed responsibly,” Pitla said. “My goal is to help build collaborative environments where AI research, education and engagement reinforce one another to create meaningful impact for society. It’s not just about technology. It’s about people, partnerships and purpose. By connecting disciplines and communities, we can ensure AI serves as a tool for innovation, learning and public good.
The institute grew out of recommendations from a faculty-led AI Task Force formed in late 2024. In a comprehensive report, the group called for a centralized AI Institute supported by campus-based centers of excellence. The recommendations included expanding foundational AI research, pursuing strategic faculty hires, strengthening ethical guidelines and building partnerships with federal agencies and private industry. Final approval by the NU Board of Regents is expected in June.
Each campus will have a defined focus. The University of Nebraska Medical Center will concentrate on AI-driven health care innovation and clinical decision support. The Lincoln campus will emphasize digital agriculture and farm optimization. The Omaha campus will focus on urban innovation, cybersecurity and business applications. The Kearney campus will center on workforce development and rural enterprise. Cross-disciplinary centers in the humanities, arts and ethics, as well as national and homeland security, are also envisioned.
Nebraska’s announcement reflects a much broader shift in higher education. Over the past several years, universities across the country have launched AI institutes, built research centers and introduced new undergraduate and graduate degrees in AI. What was once largely confined to computer science departments has become a university-wide priority.
Carnegie Mellon University, long recognized as a leader in the field, established the nation’s first bachelor’s degree in AI and operates multiple AI research institutes. Stanford University houses the Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence and the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, both of which emphasize interdisciplinary research and ethical design. The University of Florida created a university-wide AI initiative that integrates artificial intelligence across disciplines.
Other public and private institutions have followed. The University of Central Florida, the University of South Carolina, Stevens Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia have all established AI institutes focused on research and practical applications. Several universities — including Georgia Tech, the University of Texas at Austin, Ohio State University, UC Berkeley, the University of Virginia, Rutgers University and Norfolk State University — participate in the National AI Research Institutes network funded by the National Science Foundation.
At the degree level, the growth has been considerable. In addition to Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pennsylvania introduced an Ivy League bachelor’s degree in AI. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers a bachelor’s program in AI and decision-making. Purdue University, the University of California, San Diego, Illinois Institute of Technology and others have created specialized AI majors, reflecting sustained student demand and employer interest.
The federal government helped accelerate this movement in 2021, when the National Science Foundation awarded $20 million over five years to Georgia Tech, UC Berkeley and the University of Southern California to establish the National Artificial Intelligence Institute for Advances in Optimization. The institute was created to combine AI and mathematical optimization in order to improve large-scale decision-making in areas such as energy grids, supply chains and circuit design.
The project was one of 11 new National AI Research Institutes announced that year, marking a significant federal investment in embedding AI research within higher education. It also included partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities and community colleges, linking advanced research with workforce development.
Five years later, the landscape looks dramatically different. Artificial intelligence is no longer an emerging specialty but embedded in higher education strategy. For Nebraska, the new institute is framed as an extension of its public mission — an effort to ensure that as AI reshapes industries and communities.
