With the University of Florida 2025-2026 academic year in the books, let's take a moment to reflect on how impactful this year truly was for artificial intelligence research and education across every discipline and major. UF began its journey with AI six years ago and now proudly boasts over 200 AI-courses, 300 AI-focused faculty, and 14,000 students enrolled annually in AI courses. Seventy-one percent graduates in the Spring 2026 Commencement cycle completed at least one AI course during their time at UF.
The Forbes New Ivies list named the University of Florida in their top 10 public universities producing graduates most desired by employers, leading the nation in AI adoption and preparing students for the AI-driven workforce. "The UF program is a way of democratizing the benefits of AI," said Chris Malachowsky, alumnus and co-founder of NVIDIA, who delivered the 2026 University-Wide Commencement address.
Since 2017, UF faculty and units received more than $511 million in AI research awards, while AI-enabled research grant support by HiPerGator increased 180% since 2022. In September 2025, the fourth generation installation of HiPerGator was completed, which is used by 1,500 students and 3,700 university faculty and staff actively using this state-of-the-art computational resource. HiperGator remains the fastest university-owned and operated AI supercomputer in the US, enabling $566 million of UF’s externally funded research awards in this last academic year.
The NaviGator AI gateway expanded, currently providing over 70 large language models for students, faculty and staff to safely use, including NVIDIA Inference Microservices (NIMs) for Meta’s Llama Mistral, OpenAI’s GPT and DALL-E, Google’s Gemini, Stability AI’s Stable Diffusion, and Anthropic’s Claude. Last year saw an increase to more than 30,800 unique users across the NaviGator AI suite.
As Florida's flagship university, UF influences how other universities begin to think about AI, develop curriculum, introduce AI to their students, and how they make facilities available to researchers. The Center for Teaching Excellence’s Interface Teaching Conference heavily focused on artificial intelligence in teaching and learning practices. While technology is changing rapidly, UF is setting the pace for AI around every corner of campus and beyond.
AI² Center (Artificial Intelligence Academic Initiative)
UF’s AI² Center held the fourth annual AI Days in October 2025, with over 90 interdisciplinary teams in student competitions, Gator Tank, Gator Hack, and Gator Create. They also held the second annual AI² Summit in Orlando in March 2026, keynoted by alumnus and NVIDIA co-founder Chris Malachowsky.
This Spring, the Center announced the newest 50 AI Scholars, a selective, year-long program designed to deepen undergraduate students’ engagement with AI through community, exploration, and hands-on learning. Since launching, there have now been 190 AI Scholars at UF.
Over Spring Break, three students represented UF in France at the Simuvaction on AI, a selective experiential learning environment where students are placed in the conditions of real-world decision-makers on AI governance.
AI² also launched the AI Adventure series, an asynchronous 3-part course for faculty to gain a stronger understanding of how AI works and how to thoughtfully implement it in learning environments. Completion of the series earns the “AI in Higher Education micro-credential.
The AI² Center soft-launched the AI Medallion for graduating students in the Spring Commencement cycle, signifying the successful pursuit of academic and professional growth through AI-focused courses, experiences, and hands-on learning.
Artificial Intelligence and Informatics Research Institute (AIRII)
AIRII announces recipients of the inaugural AI Research Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions that advance the frontiers of artificial intelligence research at UF.
In October 2025, AIRII hosted the Symposium on Unlocking Student-Athlete Potential with AI, bringing together leading faculty and prominent external partners to explore how artificial intelligence can help solve key challenges in athletics.
In April 2026, AIRII also hosted the AI and Robotics Mini-Symposium, in collaboration with the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and UF College of Medicine.
AIRII announced the recipients of its inaugural AI Research Seed Fund, providing support for 12 interdisciplinary research projects that advance artificial intelligence research across UF.
College of Agricultural & Life Sciences/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS)
The PreventiGators, under the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, analyzed thousands of youth profiles and identified early predictors of tobacco use.
UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center researchers use AI to turn park reviews into actionable insights for building healthier communities.
UF/IFAS becomes home for a major plant breeding accelerator program, Breeding Insight, which helps to breed crops that resist emerging pests and diseases.
The Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture will serve as a world-class research, Extension and development facility.
UF/IFAS Everglades Research and Education Center scientists use AI with drone imagery to detect costly celery disease before symptoms surface, helping growers prevent major crop losses and reduce costs.
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering researchers use AI, digital twin technology to test simulated airport operations, aiming to reduce delays, improve efficiency and strengthen resilience.
Researchers developed a tool to detect crop drought stress before it’s visible, allowing for faster action to protect crops.
College of the Arts
Through his development of bellplay~, a standalone application for algorithmic audio composition and sound design, Felipe Tovar-Henao is harnessing AI and machine learning to help artists analyze and transform sound in innovative ways, advancing the intersection of technology and creative practice. Fatimah Tuggar's 2026–27 Fulbright Scholar research will integrate artificial intelligence with indigenous knowledge and contemporary art, exploring connections between Māori and West African cultures to inspire new forms of creative expression and cross-cultural dialogue.
College of Dentistry
UF College of Dentistry increases critical thinking while learning supported by AI, helping students prepare for the rapidly shifting world of dentistry.
Dentistry researchers work to develop an automated interceptive orthodontic diagnostic and treatment planning model using Natural Language Processing to diagnosis and predict the prognosis of interactive orthodontic cases.
Researchers developed QuantRoot, a 3D computer vision and machine learning software for detecting and quantifying the root resorption before or during orthodontic treatment.
Dentistry research used AI to understand how conglomeration of biological, clinical and environmental factors contribute to accelerated aging.
College of Education
Researchers at the College of Education and Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering developed Pro-CaRE, an AI-powered tool that helps students identify internships most likely to accelerate their technical and professional development.
The University of Florida Literacy Institute is developing an AI-enhancing learning analytic tool in partnership with Project Read AI, which will automatically analyze performance and generate tailored recommendations for youth reading development.
UF organized and chaired Florida’s new K-12 AI Education Task Force, developing guidelines and resources on AI in classrooms for all Florida school districts. This Task Force was also selected for prestigious national EDSAFE AI Alliance Policy Lab, where they collaborate with a national network of peer institutions to share insights, best practices, and challenges related to developing effective AI frameworks tailored to educational settings.
The College of Education hosted a National AI Literacy Day conference, a two-day event highlighting ways to use AI tools in K-12 Florida classrooms.
Researchers developed a dynamic role-playing simulation, PrincipalGPT, where graduate students act as school attorneys to provide legal advice to an AI-generated principal.
A College of Education researcher also led a team that studied women’s risk of perinatal depression using machine learning, showing how different variables interact with socioeconomic factors to magnify or mitigate a mother’s depression risk.
College of Health and Human Performance
As Florida tourism surges, UF College of Health and Human Performance trains students in AI-driven hospitality to deliver personalized, memorable experiences that exceed the expectations of today’s travelers.
HHP researchers uses AI to spot subtle changes from video recordings before clinical symptoms become evident to clinician’s eyes.
The Center for Engineering Human Performance and Wellness launched, aiming to transform how we understand and improve human performance, a collaboration between HHP and the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.
Researchers at the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute translates complex data analytics, AI applications, and consumer-behavior modeling into practical strategies for the hospitality industry.
HHP researchers developed AIDD, a breakthrough AI tool that can distinguish between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies with near-perfect accuracy.
College of Journalism and Communications
CJC researchers determined that by letting people use AI tools to create images that fit a brand’s style, companies can effectively invite customers to take part in their campaigns.
Researchers also explored the benefits and drawbacks of human-robot companionship in an era saturated with AI-based interactive technologies.
In collaboration with the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and the College of the Arts, CJC researchers created Authentically, an AI-powered text editing tool designed to eliminate bias in the news by helping journalists understand and improve their word choices in real time.
CJC researchers examined the relationship between LLM sycophancy and trust, revealing more complexity than previously thought and suggesting that there is a pathway for manipulating users into over-trusting LLMs beyond their actual capabilities.
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Department of Mathematics researchers develop HaLLMos, an AI-powered math tool that provides immediate personalized feedback guiding students through the creative struggle that writing proofs requires, without solving the proofs for them.
Department of Psychiatry researchers identify AI Replacement Dysfunction (or AIRD), a new clinical framework outlining symptoms, screening methods and treatment approaches for mental health effects linked to AI-driven job insecurity.
Department of Psychology researchers found that AI programs were better at spotting deepfake images, while humans outperformed AI in detecting deepfake videos.
A Department of Astronomy researcher used machine learning to discover potential atmosphere on a rocky planet of a nearby star.
A CLAS graduate applies his college AI experiences as an Amazon software development engineer.
College of Medicine
A Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics researcher used AI to reveal that kidney patients show early signs of differentiation, having varying needs and could benefit from more personalized treatment methods.
UF College of Medicine gears up to launch the AI in Biomedical and Health Sciences master’s program, which will prepare workforce-ready specialists in data and clinical care.
Researchers develop AI models that can quickly and reliably predict specific organ systems at risk from common cancer-causing chemicals.
Neuroscientists link glucosamine, a common joint pain supplement, with a 25% higher likelihood of progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia.
College of Medicine and UF Diabetes Institute researchers develop biorepository and use AI tools to gain unprecedented insight into the onset and progression of Type 1 diabetes.
Researchers used advanced AI with MRI scans and biomarker data to measure the additional impact of overlapping Alzheimer’s and Lewy body pathologies on the brain structure.
College of Pharmacy
Researchers develop the PROTECT tool, an AI-powered clinical support tool to help prevent relapse in patients receiving buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder.
College of Pharmacy creates new AI Partnership and Innovation Hub, centralizing the college’s diverse AI efforts and positioning UF as a national leader in pharmacy AI.
College of Public Health and Health Professions
Researchers investigate the efficacy of AI chatbots on mental health and well-being in college students.
PHHP holds second annual Digital Health Symposium, focused on accelerating real-world applications in informatics, AI and innovations.
PHHP’s Department of Biostatistics and CLAS’s Department of Statistics held the annual American Statistical Association DataFest, a national case competition drawing students from across the 16 different majors to find and share meaning in a large, complex dataset.
Department of Environmental and Global Health researchers develop novel computational models to keep food supplies safe in the event of a screwworm outbreak.
Department of Epidemiology researchers develop a new AI system to help providers make more efficient and informed decisions in HIV care.
College of Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary Forensic Sciences Laboratory’s A Cat Has No Name program aims to thwart crimes against free-roaming cats.
Large Animal Clinical Sciences collaboration with PHHP as co-PI on a AI project to keep food supplies safe amid New World screwworm outbreak concerns.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Vet Med, UF/IFAS and UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering are collaborating to use AI and smart collars to cut antibiotic use in dairy cows, using UFIT’s HiPerGator supercomputer.
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and UF’s Florida Semiconductor Institute collaborated on development of a new light-based computer chip that uses light instead of electricity, boosting power efficiency of AI tasks 100 fold.
Computer & Information Science & Engineering researchers develop a new training method to help AI tools learn safely.
CISE researchers also jailbroke AI on purpose to help make it safer, using a method called Head-Masked Nullspace Steering.
Nuclear engineering researchers used machine learning to pursue fusion power by better understanding, predicting and preventing off-normal plasma events.
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering researchers developed AI models that combine satellite imagery, GPS, LiDAR and environmental data to detect early warning signs of sinkholes.
Department of Electrical and Computer Engingeering researchers sent photonic semiconductor chips to the International Space Station to test performance in harsh space conditions.
A CISE researcher examined the efficacy of AI-generated text detectors and found they are “poorly suited for deployment in academic or high-stakes contexts”.
The Department of Engineering Education celebrated its first graduates in new AI and Data Sciences master’s programs.
Biomedical Engineering researchers used retinal photographs and an AI model to help predict Alzheimer’s disease risk factors.
Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences researchers work to develop AI-enabled tools to detect, forecast and respond to flesh-eating waterborne pathogens, such as Vibrio.
A Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering researcher collaborated on development of a soft, magnetically driven, AI-powered robotic surgical device that mimics the human eye.
Institute for the Connected Worlds student researchers create ScreeningPaL, hoping to revolutionize ease and accessibility of early autism screening using LLMs.
Levin College of Law
The AI & Legal Technology Lab launched, expanding hands-on opportunities for students to explore artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and the future of legal practice under the leadership of Professor Thinh Nguyen.
Professor Jane Bambauer named to lead AI strategy and innovation at the law school, building on her expertise as a nationally recognized AI and technology law scholar.
The college expanded its AI education across the curriculum, offering a variety of courses examining the legal, ethical, technical, and business implications of artificial intelligence across nearly every area of legal practice.
Faculty scholarship influenced national conversations on AI governance and regulation, examining AI copyright, AI regulation, AI liability, medical AI, and the legal frameworks needed to govern emerging technologies.
Strengthened AI leadership in the judiciary as Professor Thinh Nguyen was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court's Judicial Management Council to advise Chief Justice John D. Couriel on artificial intelligence and court administration.
Warrington College of Business
Warrington’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center funded 4 AI-focused student businesses with $20,000 as part of the 2025 AI Days Gator Tank pitch competition.
Researchers revealed that AI tools can make managers’ emails more professional, however regular use can undermine trust between them and their employees.
Warrington launches a weekend part-time MBA in Jacksonville.
A Warrington study found AI can empower and burden web forums contributor communities, such as Reddit and Quora.
Researchers find low-quality AI content hurts consumers and professional content creators, but high-quality AI could help both.
Warrington's Public Utility Research Center undergraduate researchers work to develop a public dashboard to track and categorize state-level AI laws for policymakers and citizens.
Warrington AI courses continue to revolutionize the classroom, including Digital Marketing and Foundations of Business Analytics & AI.
Warrington students collaborate through AI Scholars program.
Researchers reveal how generative AI affects voluntary knowledge sharing.
Warrington launches Business Case Study series, examines how HiPerGator AI sparked campuswide transformation in teaching, research and workforce training.
Warrington launches Master of Science in Management in Artificial Intelligence program in Jacksonville to prepare students to lead in a business world shaped by AI.
Researchers find AI opponents boost players confidence and play time, increasing team play with friends.