MADISON, Wis. — For the first time in over four decades, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is creating a new college designed to meet the demands of the rapid rise of artificial intelligence in education.
The UW Board of Regents approved a proposal on Dec. 4 to establish the School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence (CAI). The school is a reorganization of the School of Computer, Data and Information Sciences (CDIS).
CDIS was originally formed in 2019 under the College of Letters and Sciences to expand course offerings and strengthen technological research within the university. Enrollment has surged in the last few years, with over 6,000 students currently enrolled in CDIS programs.
University officials say the creation of CAI marks the next step in supporting the program’s growth at a time where artificial intelligence affects students’ everyday lives.
“We’re living through something of an AI moment,” UW-Madison’s interim provost John Zumbrunnen said. “That artificial intelligence seems pervasive throughout our lives.”
Students currently enrolled in CDIS programs will transition out of the College of Letters and Sciences and into CAI upon its launch. Zumbrunnen said at this time there will be no curriculum changes, but students can expect the academic program to evolve over time, especially in a space like artificial intelligence.
“It’s a kind of logical time for us to think about building on the expertise that we have,” Zumbrunnen said. “Here in the school of Computer, Data, and Information Sciences, but really all across our campus.”
According to the planning documents, roughly $36 million in general program operations will shift from the College of Letters and sciences to CAI. The total projected annual budget is approximately $85 million.
Like Morgridge Hall, the new privately funded home of CDIS majors and future home of CAI, university leaders are seeking out philanthropic support to provide additional financial resources to support faculty hiring, research initiatives and student programs.
“Because the School of Computer, Data and Information Sciences has been in existence for several years, we have a lot of the fundamental structure and resources in place that will be the backbone of the new college,” Zunbrunnen said.
Zunbrunnen said AI education is no longer optional for students, regardless of major.
“Students need to learn not just how to use AI, but they need to learn about AI and about its implications,” Zunbrunnen said. “Because when they go out into the world in their jobs and in their lives, AI is going to be pervasive and enduring, in really every walk of life and every profession.”
Alongside opportunity, he said, comes some concerns. Academic-integrity, ethical questions, environmental impacts and the societal effects of increasingly powerful AI systems
“Our responsibility as a university is to engage not just with pushing the innovative boundaries for technology, but also thinking collectively about those societal, political and economic implications,” Zunbrunnen said.
Despite the challenges, UW officials say they are excited to move forward. The official announcement of the new college will happen in Spring 2026 and the new school is expected to start operations on July 1, 2026.
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