USF Launches College of AI, Cybersecurity & Computing

AI researchPhoto byGerard SideriusonUnsplash

The University of Florida has announced a new college will open in the fall of 2025, devoted to AI, cybersecurity and computing. The campus will be in the Tampa Bay area, already a hub of industries in the technology and defense arenas.

Almost 200 faculty members are already engaged on related research in this fast evolving area of study. Last year alone, the National Science Foundation awarded more than $800 million dollars in research grants for AI study.

Some of the research is being done at the University's other colleges, this plan will unite and combine then into one location. The University of South Florida serves over 50,000 students in the Tampa / St. Petersburg, and Sarasota Areas of Florida.

At the same time, Lawmakers in Washington are pressuring Pentagon leaders to significantly increase their cybersecurity to counter growing threats from China and Russia. "Several lawmakers questioned how the Pentagon was moving to integrate AI and if they were doing it fast enough as China and other adversaries have quickly used it for weapons and espionage."

The Pentagon, however, is concerned about AI replacing experts rather than assisting them. Wasn't that permutation fictionalized as Skynet?

As more and more military and critical infrastructure depend on computers to run everything, the level of protection needed is growing rapidly. A breach could theoretically launch attacks, shut down power grids, and give access to America's secrets.

It would appear that the South Florida University plan will be the right concept at the right time.