Wyoming Must Lead in the AI Revolution

By Shane Reeves

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future possibility. It is already transforming the way we work, learn, conduct research and solve problems. The graduates leaving our universities today will enter careers where AI is as commonplace as the internet is today.

That reality presents higher education with a choice.

We can resist this technology, hoping to preserve the educational models that have served us well for generations. Or we can embrace AI thoughtfully and responsibly, preparing students to use it wisely while strengthening the critical thinking, creativity and ethical judgment that define an outstanding education.

At the University of Wyoming, we’ve made our choice.

This week, we announced that UW will implement BoodleBox, a secure enterprise AI platform that will provide our faculty, staff and students with access to leading artificial intelligence tools in an environment built specifically for higher education. It is an important milestone, but it is only the first step in a much larger effort to position Wyoming’s university as a national leader in the responsible integration of AI.

Some have asked whether universities should slow the adoption of artificial intelligence or even discourage its use altogether. I understand those concerns. Every transformative technology has raised legitimate questions about how it should be used.