From Industry Engagement to Workforce Development, the University of Tennessee Is Leading Tennessee's AI Future

At a moment when artificial intelligence is redefining nearly every field, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is demonstrating how universities can lead AI innovation responsibly, collaboratively and at scale. By uniting advanced research, education pathways, and partnerships across communities, industry and government, UT is positioning Tennessee as a hub for applied high-impact AI innovation.

Central to this momentum is the AI Tennessee initiative—the first statewide effort of its kind in the nation—launched by UT to coordinate AI research, education and workforce development across disciplines and institutions. Now nearly 400 members strong, the initiative brings together academic researchers, industry leaders, start-ups, and public-sector partners to ensure that AI's benefits reach communities across the state. On January 28 and 29, UT and partners including the State of Tennessee AI Advisory Council, SCORE, Vanderbilt University, the University of Memphis, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Tennessee Board of Regents will convene the inaugural AI Tennessee Summit, bringing together leaders from government, industry and academia to tackle shared challenges and opportunities.

"AI, advanced computing and emerging technologies are an opportunity to rethink how we solve problems, conduct science, and best serve society by connecting ideas and disciplines in entirely new ways," said Vasileios Maroulas, professor of mathematics, associate vice chancellor, and director of AI Tennessee.

A model for AI education and workforce development

As AI and emerging technologies accelerate, UT is not just adding new courses; it is reimagining how higher education can move at the pace of workforce change. That work is led in part by the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies—a college at UT designed to break down traditional academic silos and rapidly build future-aligned programs through campus-wide collaboration. CECS operates through an innovative model that brings together faculty from across UT to develop intercollegiate curricula. Program curriculum committees, drawing participation from more than 100 faculty members across 60 departments, span high-impact areas including artificial intelligence, data science and cyber security.

What sets CECS apart is that industry partnership is embedded directly into its operating model. Through standing program advisory committees composed of industry leaders, curricula remain closely aligned with evolving workforce and technology needs. This robust industry engagement ensures that the university's AI momentum extends beyond research collaborations to inform curriculum, mentorship and scalable workforce pathways.

"AI doesn't live in one discipline," said Ozlem Kilic, vice provost and founding dean of CECS. "The future belongs to people who can connect advanced technologies with real-world contexts in health care, business, agriculture, manufacturing and beyond."

CECS houses Tennessee's first degree program in applied artificial intelligence. It expands access through stackable certificates in emerging technologies that can be integrated into nearly any major, creating flexible on-ramps for students seeking digital fluency without changing their primary field of study. Beyond degree programs, CECS extends UT's AI education and workforce impact to working professionals and employers through the CECS Online Academy— a flexible online learning platform that introduces learners to the technologies shaping the future—and through industry training partnerships that help frontline workers build practical capability in AI and other emerging technologies.

Turning AI research into real-world solutions

UT's leadership extends beyond campus through AI TechX, AI Tennessee's industry consortium that drives applied research, entrepreneurship and job creation by connecting faculty expertise with industry needs. AI TechX convenes multidisciplinary teams to work directly with companies on AI-enabled solutions.

"AI is often framed in terms of job displacement," said Caleb Knight, director of AI TechX. "But history shows that emerging technologies can and will create new jobs in our economy. Our goal at AI TechX is to make sure those jobs are created here in Tennessee through high-level coordination with our industry partners and community stakeholders."

Through project-based collaborations, seed funding and partnerships with start-ups and established companies, UT is translating AI research into economic growth. Programs are also establishing the groundwork for project-based internships, allowing companies to bring real AI challenges to UT students while building a pipeline of talent.

Recent AI TechX projects apply AI to manufacturing simulation, livestock disease detection, pedestrian safety, athlete injury prevention and geospatial intelligence, among other fields.

Supporting researchers—and the next generation

Behind UT's expanding AI portfolio is a coordinated strategy to support faculty at every stage of research, from early idea development to large-scale external funding. Through targeted investments in computing infrastructure, data resources and researcher support, UT is lowering barriers to AI-enabled discovery. This shared multidisciplinary approach connects researchers across departments, institutions and the state, and it has already generated external grants and national recognition in areas including AI security, disaster response and high-resolution flood forecasting.

"This is about synchronization," said Tabitha Samuel, interim director of the National Institute for Computational Sciences and director for AI enablement at AI Tennessee. "We're aligning capabilities across UT and Tennessee so researchers can move faster, work together and amplify impact by engaging with advanced computing in ways that simply weren't possible before."

UT's AI leadership is further strengthened by sustained investments in faculty and learning. Through the AI Faculty Fellows program, faculty across disciplines are supported in integrating AI into teaching and learning, which advances AI literacy, responsible use and domain-informed applications across academic programs. In parallel, strategic preeminent hires in AI and applied fields continue to deepen faculty expertise, driving research breakthroughs and preparing the next generation of talent. A partnership between academic innovation efforts and the university's Office of Innovative Technologies has helped translate research advances into scalable, responsible campus-wide capabilities that support both research and learning.

At the same time, UT is extending its AI leadership directly into the community. In response to the Presidential AI Challenge, the university is supporting K-12 teachers and students across the state by mentoring prospective participants and providing guidance as they develop AI-based solutions to local community challenges.

AI is moving at an unprecedented pace, noted Anne Ho, director of AI research development at AI Tennessee, but that speed also presents opportunity.

"The potential of AI touches every field," she said. "Researchers across campus are thinking creatively about how to use these tools to accelerate discovery and translate ideas into real-world applications. We want to move quickly, but we also want to do this right."

Looking ahead

As AI continues to evolve, UT's strategy balances urgency with responsibility, advancing innovation while emphasizing ethical and community-centered outcomes.

UT's leadership in AI is built on decades of strength in advanced computing and data science, including nationally recognized expertise in high-performance computing. Today those capabilities are being expanded and reimagined as AI transforms how research is conducted.

New education models and workforce partnerships are ensuring that students, professionals and communities across Tennessee are prepared for what comes next.

"This moment is rare," Samuel said. "We have the opportunity not just to use AI but to shape how it's developed, applied and governed—and UT is choosing to lead."

Provided by University of Tennessee at Knoxville