USC is launching a initiative to leverage artificial intelligence to accelerate innovation across the university, including in health sciences, security, business and the arts, the school announced Tuesday.
The initial effort is being funded with a $200 million gift from venture capitalist, NVIDIA board member and USC Trustee Mark Stevens and his wife Mary. USC officials said they will recruit “world-class AI researchers seeking to expand the frontiers of knowledge, develop new therapeutics, enhance our security, transform the world of business and enhance human creativity.”
The USC School of Advanced Computing, which is part of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, will be renamed the USC Mark and Mary Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence.
“As AI becomes ever more powerful, it creates enormous opportunities to improve lives and solve some of our greatest challenges, if used the right way,” USC President Beong-Soo Kim said. “Mark and Mary Stevens’ generosity will allow USC to leverage our existing interdisciplinary strengths and capitalize on these new opportunities at a critical inflection point for our society. As a top destination for AI talent, USC can accelerate our mission of educating future leaders, addressing real-world problems and enhancing human values and agency.”
USC already ranks in the top five in federal research support in areas related to computer science, and offers more than 30 AI- and computing-related majors, minors and graduate degree programs, with a new bachelor of science in artificial intelligence being introduced this fall. According to the school, USC is the nation’s top producer of computer and information sciences graduates.
“We know the next great universities will be those that invest in computing,” said Mark Stevens, who earned bachelor of science and bachelor of arts degrees in 1981, and a mater’s degree in 1984. “This is a key moment. I am confident that USC has the leadership and direction to run quickly and stake our position as the trailblazer.”