University of Alaska Fairbanks
AK · AI Readiness #225 of 227
AIREDEX™ Score: 3.0 /10
UAF undergrads can run AI and machine learning projects on Chinook, the university's most powerful computing cluster, which added 48 NVIDIA graphics processors in 2024 so researchers and students can use the same tools behind ChatGPT and Gemini.
Nanooks can use Google Gemini free with their UA login, part of a University of Alaska system setup that steers students toward AI tools with data protections in place. A systemwide AI policy is now before the Board of Regents. The draft, presented in September 2026, would require UAF and the system's other two campuses to adopt an AI plan for students, faculty and staff, guided by principles that include protecting data, not replacing people, and using AI to widen access to education.
Pillar grades
- Commitment: D-
- Curriculum: D-
- Partnerships: F
- Research: B-
A(I)ttitude™: cautious
Selected Highlights
- Chinook HPC cluster upgraded 2024 with 48 NVIDIA GPUs (H100 + L40S), NSF Award #2320196, explicitly designed for student AI/ML use; Dr. Das teaching deep learning course on the hardware.
- UAF is lead institution on DOE AURORA-AI grant ($725K, August 2026, PI Richard Wies) and NSF Critical Mineral Accelerator Engine ($15M Yr1-2, up to $160M over 10 years, July 2026, PI Lee Ann Munk), both with embedded AI components.
- Data/AI Lab (cs.uaf.edu/dataailab) confirmed with PI Arghya Kusum Das, NIH AIM-AHEAD funding, and active projects in Arctic health equity and cyberinfrastructure.
- UA System draft AI policy presented to Board of Regents September 2026; includes requirement for all three campuses to develop AI plans; GenAI Security Standard already operational.
- AlaskaX MOOC 'Teaching and Learning in the Era of AI' (edX) designed and taught by UAF faculty; open to all learners; 185,000+ learners across 52 courses on the platform.