AI Tennessee
UT researchers are developing new AI decision support tools and physics-informed AI models as part of a larger goal to establish the Southeast as a leader in the circular bioeconomy. These tools will help researchers develop high-performance, plant-based products; maximize transportation efficiency; and optimize the return on investment for local communities.
UT is raising the bar in research excellence with the addition of eight exceptional researchers working in fields that include human-centered computing, AI-guided scientific discovery, and quantum devices that can be used to create chips for AI computing. These preeminent hires showcase UT’s bold commitment to attracting top-tier faculty who tackle the most pressing challenges.
A project led by Michela Taufer, MathWorks Professor in the Tickle College of Engineering, has been awarded $9 million by the National Science Foundation. The project aims to accelerate AI-driven scientific discovery by enabling any researcher, regardless of their high-performance computing resources, to securely discover, access, analyze and share scientific data across the nation’s research infrastructure.
UT has won $20 million from the NSF to establish ATHENA (Advanced Testbed for High-throughput Experimentation in Nano- and Atomic Science), one of twenty US research hubs that will form a national network of AI-powered laboratories to accelerate scientific discovery.
A team of students from Alcoa Intermediate School won this year’s Presidential AI Challenge for “Homework Helper,” an AI tool designed to reduce homework-related anxiety by offering support in time management and problem-solving.
With support from the AI Tennessee initiative and UT faculty, a team of elementary students from Alcoa Intermediate School in Alcoa, Tennessee, will compete in the national finals of the Presidential AI Challenge. Their success brings a classroom-driven vision for artificial intelligence in education to the national stage.
