University of Memphis touts $1M investment into artificial intelligence research amid xAI news

Just a day after the reveal that the Elon Musk-company xAI would build the "world's largest supercomputer" in the Bluff City, the University of Memphis has announced a new investment in artificial intelligence.

University of Memphis is poised to inject a million dollars into academics and research focused on artificial intelligence. This initiative is aligned with community efforts to bring xAI to Memphis, and it’s being led by Provost David Russomanno and Jasbir Dhaliwal, executive vice president of research & innovation.

“The arrival of xAI is a perfect fit with the technology innovation ecosystem of Memphis, which is centered around the University as a top-tier Carnegie R1 research institution,” President Bill Hardgrave said in a press release. “We have much to offer in terms of talent, workforce training, and cutting-edge research.”

Added Russomanno: “We will offer a wide range of educational experiences across the University, including degree programs and stackable micro-credentials customized by context and topic, reflecting student and workforce needs. Going forward, we will provide opportunities for all our students to understand and apply AI.”

Already, U of M has supported and launched AI initiatives; it isn’t an unfamiliar area to the university.

For more than 30 years, it’s focused on applying AI to major local sectors, like education, healthcare, and transportation. It recently founded the Center for Electrified and Autonomous Transportation and Agile Freight Supply Chain; U of M’s FedEx Institute of Technology houses an array of AI-oriented groups.

901 AI, for example, offers a place for local professionals to engage in AI-based work, and it’s paired with the Data Science Research Cluster, and the upcoming AI research Cluster. The FedEx Institute also leads the Next Generation Supply Chain and Innovation Challenge, which is an industry-aligned AI effort partnered with the National Science Foundation.

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U of M also has one of the largest computer science programs in the state; and in the past three fiscal years, enrollment in its AI-oriented departments – including management information systems and electrical and computer engineering – has doubled. A significant chunk of that growth has come from master’s level candidates.

Now, the university is poised to use the work it’s done to incorporate AI into more academic areas – an effort that school leaders believe could attract more students.

On Wednesday, the Greater Memphis Chamber announced that xAI would be coming to Memphis. Chamber President and CEO Ted Townsend said it would represent a multibillion-dollar investment and is the largest by a new-to-market company in Memphis history. Final job counts and total investment are still being calculated by the company, but the project is expected to open this year.

John Klyce covers education and children's issues for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: After xAI news, University of Memphis to invest $1M in AI