South Dakota State University launches center to teach AI literacy
South Dakota State University will open a Center for Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Emergent Technologies, funded with $750,000 from the federal 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies bill. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, secured the funding.
The center will integrate generative AI literacy across SDSU's curriculum and prepare students to use AI tools ethically. SDSU President Barry Dunn said the center aims to ready students for an "AI-driven world" while keeping them mindful of AI's impact on the state, region, and beyond.
What the center will teach
Students will develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills by working with generative AI's capabilities-coding, essay generation, and rapid information synthesis. The center will emphasize that AI requires sustained human oversight across industries.
Victor Taylor, vice provost for graduate education and extended studies, and Rajesh Kavasseri, professor and associate dean for research, will direct the center. Taylor said the center will produce "generative AI-literate" graduates who strengthen South Dakota's reputation for technological innovation.
Research focus areas
The center will host interdisciplinary research groups tackling problems in agriculture, climate resilience, rural health, and community development. Kavasseri said he will build an operating system for discovery that uses AI as a "force multiplier," pairing scientists with intelligent systems to accelerate research cycles.
Rounds said the timing is critical for U.S. AI development. "SDSU leaders know AI is critical for the future," he said. "They're committed to teaching their students to harness the power of AI rather than run from it."
For educators interested in AI competency, explore Generative AI and LLM Courses and AI for Education resources.
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