UW Board of Regents approves UW-Madison College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence
December 4, 2025
The UW Board of Regents has approved UW-Madison's plan to reorganize the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences (CDIS) into a standalone College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence (CAI). The new college will extend the university's strengths across computer sciences, data science, library and information sciences, and statistics.
Pending shared governance steps and campus consultation, UW-Madison anticipates a formal announcement in spring 2026 and an operational start on July 1, 2026. This will be the university's first new academic division in decades.
What's changing
- CDIS's three units - Computer Sciences, the Information School, and Statistics - will move into CAI.
- Transition planning begins immediately, including the search for an inaugural dean and a steering committee.
- Initial funding will come from CDIS's current budget within Letters & Science, with additional philanthropic support expected in early 2026.
- Leadership emphasizes continued commitments to interdisciplinarity, a human-centered approach, undergraduate access across campus, and ethical guardrails for AI.
Why this matters for scientists and researchers
- Single point of contact: CAI is intended to be a campus hub for AI and computing expertise, streamlining partnerships and resources for cross-disciplinary teams.
- Faster program creation: A college structure gives more flexibility to launch new research initiatives and educational programs quickly, a need identified in the 2019 "Wisconsin in the Information Age" report.
- Ethics and impact: Expect stronger engagement with AI's moral, policy, and societal implications, supporting responsible research and deployment.
- Statewide relevance: Agriculture, manufacturing, and health care in Wisconsin are all set to be influenced by AI; CAI aims to support collaborations, talent pipelines, and outreach across these sectors.
By the numbers
- Computer Sciences majors grew from 1,043 (2015) to 3,000+ (Fall 2025).
- The Data Science major (launched 2019) enrolls 1,700+ students.
- The Information Science major (launched 2022) enrolls 500 students.
What to watch next
- Appointment of the inaugural CAI dean and the formation of the steering committee.
- Announcements on private support in early 2026 and subsequent program launches.
- Opportunities for campus-wide input as governance bodies refine the college's structure.
- A new CAI website is expected to serve as the primary info source for updates and participation.
Practical steps for research teams
- Map where AI integrates into your lab's current work - methods, tooling, or new study designs - and list potential collaborators across CAI's units.
- Prioritize projects that pair technical advances with real-world impact and clear ethical frameworks (e.g., bias evaluation, reproducibility plans, data governance).
- Prepare short concept notes for multi-PI efforts that could benefit from CAI's hub model and future seed funding.
- Identify industry partners in Wisconsin whose needs align with your lab's expertise and CAI's mission.
Context and governance
CDIS was formed in 2019 after a 2018 working group of alumni, campus, and industry advisors recommended stronger computing and data capabilities across UW-Madison. A 2023 task force of national experts recommended establishing a college led by a dean, building on CDIS's growth and cross-campus reach.
CAI's leaders emphasize broad access for undergraduates, support for collaborative research, and a campus resource that treats AI as both a powerful tool and a topic with real ethical stakes.
Authoritative references
Skill-building for research teams
If your group is planning AI upskilling to align with CAI's trajectory, see focused training by role here: AI courses by job.
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