UW-Madison Names Dean for New College of Computing and AI
The University of Wisconsin-Madison named Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau as founding dean of its College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, which opens July 1. The college is the university's first new academic division in 43 years.
Arpaci-Dusseau, currently director of the School of Computer, Data and Information Sciences, said the college will operate differently from industry voices shaping AI's future. The institution will prioritize ethics and public good alongside technical development.
"We're not here to be AI cheerleaders," Arpaci-Dusseau said. "A university is here to be an educated, thoughtful leader in these very challenging spaces."
Building Cross-Campus Partnerships
The college plans to work with other departments through research and education initiatives. A new collaboration with the School of Medicine and Public Health will examine how AI changes healthcare work and medical training.
Arpaci-Dusseau expects the college to develop classes for students across all majors, eventually offering certificates and dual degrees. The goal is to prepare graduates from every field to work with AI technologies.
Teaching Ethics Alongside Code
The college will teach ethical decision-making through classroom instruction and real-world experience. Students will work in industry settings to see how ethical questions actually arise in practice.
Arpaci-Dusseau said this approach gives students "enough courage of their own conviction, so when they leave here and they're faced with a tough ethical choice, that they can know what the right thing to do is." The college will partner with philosophy faculty and the law school to build this curriculum.
Addressing Community Concerns About Data Centers
Wisconsin communities have pushed back against plans for large AI data centers. Arpaci-Dusseau acknowledged these concerns as legitimate, saying communities should move carefully when deciding whether to host such facilities.
"If I'm a community and a Google or a Meta or OpenAI comes in and wants to put a data center there, I would be concerned," he said. He noted that short-term investment benefits may come with long-term costs that deserve scrutiny.
The college can provide independent analysis on these issues, separate from industry interests. It will work with the La Follette School of Public Affairs and the law school on policy questions.
Competing for Faculty Without Silicon Valley Salaries
The college plans to hire 50 faculty members. Arpaci-Dusseau said the university cannot match tech industry compensation and won't try.
Instead, the college will recruit researchers and teachers drawn to academic work. He noted that many people prefer mentoring students and intellectual environments over higher industry pay, particularly those interested in shaping how AI develops responsibly.
Job Market Outlook for New Graduates
Entry-level coding and data roles face automation pressure. Yet major technology companies continue hiring junior employees, Arpaci-Dusseau said after visiting Silicon Valley firms including Google, Meta, Snowflake, and OpenAI.
The work has changed. AI tools now assist in code development, but human judgment remains essential. "The center of designing code today is you work with an agent, but you're the chief architect," he said. Graduates who understand how to guide these tools will find opportunities.
For more on preparing students for AI-driven workplaces, see AI for Education and Generative AI and LLM.
Your membership also unlocks:
