Yale University recently announced plans to invest over $150 million over the next five years to support faculty and students in their exploration and application of artificial intelligence (AI).
Image Source: Picture generated by AI, provided by Midjourney
This investment aims to help the Yale community develop, utilize, and evaluate AI technologies better and leverage this tool to drive groundbreaking research. In a letter to the university community, Yale Provost Scott Strobel stated that the funds will be primarily used for computing infrastructure, providing secure generative AI tools to the community, hiring dedicated faculty, launching seed funds, and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration.
Strobel noted that Yale has always been at the forefront of AI development and research, and as the technology continues to evolve, Yale's leadership becomes even more crucial. He emphasized that to fulfill the university's mission, Yale must explore and harness the benefits of AI while providing necessary ethical, legal, and social frameworks to address the challenges posed by AI.
This $150 million commitment is based on the report from Yale's AI Task Force. The team, composed of 18 faculty members and campus leaders, engaged in in-depth discussions with faculty and experts from various departments during the spring to examine current AI activities and formulate a vision for Yale's future leadership.
In the coming years, Yale plans to expand its research infrastructure by purchasing approximately 450 graphics processing units (GPUs), which have become the foundation for modern AI development. Additionally, Yale will establish cloud GPU access and hire new computing research support analysts to assist researchers in utilizing these new resources.
To ensure equal access to AI tools for the Yale community, the task force also recommended developing secure generative AI tools. Yale will launch the "Clarity" platform, providing faculty and students with secure access to AI tools. Initially, the platform will feature a chatbot powered by OpenAI's ChatGPT-4. Notably, the "Clarity" platform offers a "closed" environment where all input information is not saved or used to train external models.
To enhance Yale's research and teaching capabilities in AI, the university plans to hire over 20 faculty members specializing in AI technologies. These new faculty members will promote research and education in AI-related fields, enabling students to better understand and apply AI technologies.
Yale will also support interdisciplinary collaboration by planning university-wide AI research seminars, encouraging faculty and students to share research findings and innovative ideas.
Key Points:
🌟 Yale University will invest over $150 million in the next five years to support AI research and application.
🖥️ Will establish approximately 450 GPU infrastructures and develop the "Clarity" platform to provide secure AI tools.
👩🏫 Plans to hire over 20 faculty members in the AI field to enhance research and educational capabilities.