UT President Jay Hartzell visits Capitol Hill to talk AI with Texas congressional leaders

Lily Kepner, Austin American-Statesman
Updated ·2 min read
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Four months ago, the University of Texas said 2024 would be "The Year of AI." This week, UT President Jay Hartzell went to Washington to tell Texas' congressional delegation what the university is doing ― and why lawmakers should help.

"We're trying to pull together a really incredible breadth and depth of expertise from around the campus and put it in spots where people can find their way to see what they offer and what we want to be a part of," Hartzell said at a UT Staff Council meeting Thursday when speaking about the Washington visit. "I feel like we're on our way to becoming the highest impact public research university in the world, and it really does take all of us to get there."

Hartzell
Hartzell

Hartzell implored leaders on Capitol Hill to invest in public artificial intelligence and support the advancements UT is making in both research and workforce development. The investment is needed to make universities like UT competitive against artificial intelligence in the private sector, Hartzell said at a Capitol reception Tuesday evening, according to a university press release.

'Unlimited': How robotics research at UT-Austin is working to create real-world impact

In 2024, U.S. News and World Report ranked UT the 10th-best university to study artificial intelligence as an undergraduate.

Artificial intelligence research intersects multiple different fields at UT. In the Texas Robotics program, artificial intelligence is applied and explored with many of its robots, including on work with the Army Futures Command. UT also has a Good Systems project that explores equity and ethics in the field, and its Strauss Center for International Security and Law advises the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

UT also launched a Master of Science in artificial intelligence in 2023 and offers a graduate portfolio program centered on Ethical AI.

The visit elicited support from key Texas legislators, the university said in a press release, such as U.S. Reps. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, and Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo.

During Hartzell's visit, UT burnt orange advertisements were unveiled at two Metro stations, seemingly hoping to attract more students to the institution's programs.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: University of Texas President Hartzell visits Capitol Hill to talk AI