Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau will be the college's founding dean.
The bigger picture:
While more than 300 U.S. institutions of higher education currently offer AI degrees, it’s extremely rare for a college to actually have the words “artificial intelligence” in its name. The University of South established its Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing in 2024 and calls it “the first of its kind in Florida.” The University of Texas at San Antonio launched its College of AI, Cyber and Computing in 2025.
Beyond the name, the move to establish a computing and AI college at UW – Madison is part of a growing trend of universities positioning themselves to play a more meaningful role in the development of AI as it moves from “pilot to scale” in the world of business and work.
“In moments of major change, universities have a responsibility to engage, not stand on the sidelines,” Arpaci-Dusseau said in a statement. Rather, he said, universities must “ask hard questions” about the effects of new technologies and “guide innovation thoughtfully and prepare students to thrive in a changing world.”
