Louisiana State University
LA · AI Readiness #49 of 227
AIREDEX™ Score: 8.3 /10
The state of Louisiana's first BS in Artificial Intelligence launches at LSU in Fall 2026 and features a university-built MikeGPT assistant and cross-disciplinary AI research through the Center for Computation & Technology.
The LSU Center for Computation & Technology anchors cross-disciplinary AI work with 44 joint faculty across engineering, sciences, and coastal studies, while VP and Chief Data Officer Keena Arbuthnot oversees cross-campus AI governance. Students can take HNRS 3035, an Honors seminar on large language model development open across majors, and tap into the DeepBayou GPU cluster at no cost. Industry ties include a BASF collaboration on AI-driven manufacturing sensors and a federal DOE nuclear-security research award. Flagship land-grant universities at this stage typically add an undergraduate AI minor and a formal responsible-AI office, as SEC peers like Texas A&M and the University of Florida have already begun to do.
Pillar grades
- Commitment: B
- Curriculum: A-
- Partnerships: B
- Research: A
A(I)ttitude™: progressive
Selected Highlights
- Ram Ramanujam holds the title Special Advisor on AI, Data & Quantum Science to the VP of Research — a university-wide AI advisory role; Keena Arbuthnot serves as VP and Chief Data Officer with explicit AI mandate; Andrew Schwarz named first AI Faculty Coordinator at Ourso College of Business.
- Faculty Senate Ad Hoc Generative AI Committee (chaired by Param Singh) produced public draft guidelines in 2024–2025; Provost-level working groups on AI chaired by named administrators; Student Government AI Taskforce launched 2026 with named co-chairs.
- Faculty Senate Generative AI Guidelines published and updated; ITS policy PS-121-ST4 in place; institutional AI tool approvals (Copilot, Glean, MikeGPT) publicly documented.
- CCT is a named cross-disciplinary hub with 44 joint faculty spanning engineering, sciences, arts, humanities, and coastal studies; Interim Director Oliver Dasbach named June 2025; active AI programming including Fourth International Conference on AI-ML Systems (October 2024).
- BS in Artificial Intelligence approved by Louisiana Board of Regents March 24, 2026; launching Fall 2026 in College of Engineering; 20 new courses created including ethics in AI; first such degree in Louisiana.