New report recommends path forward for Duke and artificial intelligence

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The rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence is reshaping research and teaching while raising urgent questions and challenges for higher education. A new report from the AI at Duke Steering Committee outlines a strategic framework to guide future investments and initiatives in AI while enhancing the university’s role in advancing responsible and human-centered AI innovation.

Provost Alec D. Gallimore launched the AI at Duke initiative following the inaugural Duke AI Summit in 2024, which brought together faculty and administrators to engage with a rapidly evolving AI landscape and underscored the need for a coordinated approach and infrastructure. Gallimore convened the AI at Duke Steering Committee and charged it with evaluating Duke’s strengths in AI and identifying gaps and opportunities for elevating the university’s academic leadership in its development, application and responsible oversight. 

The report’s recommendations identify and build on Duke’s strengths, which include foundational and human-centered AI research, interdisciplinary scholarly engagement, and clinical and ethical AI governance.  Strategic priorities include faculty hiring in key areas, expanded student research opportunities, shared data and computing infrastructure, and formal institutional structures to support the responsible governance and implementation of AI. 

“As artificial intelligence is transforming in real-time the way universities are educating our students and conducting research, Duke has an opportunity and responsibility to harness the immense potential of AI in ways that improve the human condition,” Gallimore said. “The steering committee’s recommendations provide us with a crucial vision and direction to ensure Duke leads in advancing AI innovation while strengthening the ethical foundations and core values that define our academic mission.”

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The steering committee was co-chaired by Joseph Salem, Rita DiGiallonardo Holloway University Librarian and vice provost for library affairs; Tracy Futhey, vice president and chief information officer; and Ricardo Henao, associate professor of biostatistics and bioinformatics. Previously serving as chairs were Yakut Gazi, former vice provost for Learning Innovation and Lifetime Education, and Michael Pencina, former chief data scientist for Duke Health. 

“The collaborative planning process has given us a clear roadmap for leading Duke into the age of AI,” said Futhey. “Our role is to invest in our faculty and equip the entire Duke community with the knowledge, tools, infrastructure and guardrails needed to explore AI responsibly.” 

The report is the culmination of nearly two years of planning and deliberation. The steering committee met regularly from June 2025 to January 2026, working closely with faculty-led advisory committees with representation from the college and all schools, disciplines and faculty ranks. The committees also gathered input through a university-wide faculty survey, open forums and ongoing dialogue with academic and administrative leadership to understand the diverse perspectives of the broader Duke community on AI. 

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“The value of this report stems from extensive faculty engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration,” Salem said. “We drew our strategic direction from in-depth conversations, surveys and debates, refined into measurable recommendations by the committees. The report outlines a uniquely Duke approach to grappling with the promise and pitfalls of generative AI and its technological, societal and environmental implications.”

Each advisory committee focused on one of four pillars – Life with AI, Advancing Discovery in the Age of AI, Sustainability in AI, and Trustworthy & Responsible AI – and developed recommendations for advancing the university’s leadership in these areas. 

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These recommendations, which formed the foundation of the steering committee report, aim to support Duke’s core missions of research and teaching by building technical capacity for AI development while also advancing holistic and interdisciplinary applications of AI that keep humans at the forefront of innovation. 

Victoria Szabo, chair of the Advancing Discovery with AI committee and research professor of art, art history and visual studies, described her group’s work as encompassing both scientific and humanistic areas of inquiry. “Our pillar is about core foundational research and innovative applications,” she said. “It is also about humane action, human creativity and critical reflection.” 

The report describes interconnected focus areas the steering committee selected to reflect Duke’s strategic needs and opportunities: 

• Research — Strengthening institutional capacity in foundational, translational and human-centered AI, while advancing AI’s trustworthy and responsible use;
• Education and Workforce Development — Expanding AI education, curriculum development and experiential learning pathways to prepare students, faculty and staff for technological transformation;
• Communications and Thought Leadership — Developing a strong institutional identity around AI and elevating the university as a trusted leader in conversations about the future of AI;
• Governance and Culture — Establishing durable and responsible AI governance frameworks to guide the ethical use of AI across research, teaching and university operations;
• Infrastructure — Building the technical and human systems needed to enable AI research and innovation at scale; and
• Sustainability and Societal Impact — Aligning AI advancement with Duke’s commitments to environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

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“This effort has revealed the incredible scope, strength and potential of AI work across Duke,” Henao said. “We have recognized and outlined key investments in talent, infrastructure and coordination required for Duke to fully realize its impact as a leader in AI.”

As Duke scholars develop AI technologies to improve lives, explore critical questions around AI’s impacts on society, and integrate AI into their classrooms, the report provides a framework for enhancing Duke’s institutional leadership around AI and ensuring AI innovation remains grounded in the university’s long-held commitments to academic excellence and human flourishing.

Members of the Duke community can download the Steering Committee report at: ai.duke.edu/ai-report. 

To learn more about the diverse work of Duke schools and units around AI, visit: ai.duke.edu.