The Year of AI

UW–Madison has designated 2026 as the “Year of AI Readiness and Competency” in a coordinated, campuswide effort to ensure that students, faculty, and staff are prepared to use artificial intelligence thoughtfully, responsibly, and in service to the Wisconsin Idea.

The effort builds on the investments made as part of the AI focus area of the Wisconsin Research, Innovation, and Scholarly Excellence (RISE) Initiative, which has strengthened faculty hiring, research capacity, and foundational infrastructure. And it complements the July launch of the College of Computing & Artificial Intelligence.

“Artificial intelligence is already reshaping higher education,” says Provost John Zumbrunnen. “Our responsibility is to lead with a human-centered approach to readiness: one that views AI as a tool to amplify — not replace — the unique curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking of our Badger community.”

Rather than communicating abstract principles, the initiative’s goals include creating practical expectations for how people across the institution should engage with these tools — “wisely, ethically, and in service of the public good,” according to Zumbrunnen.

The Year of AI Readiness and Competency will follow three guiding principles: AI augments human capacity, rather than replaces it; decisions should be deliberate, rather than reactive; and campuswide coordination should leave room for local implementation within schools, colleges, and divisions. The effort will culminate in clear institutional guidance and recommendations for sustained leadership in 2027 and beyond.

Published in the Fall 2026 issue