University of Notre Dame
IN · AI Readiness #16 of 227
AIREDEX™ Score: 9.1 /10
Notre Dame gives students campus-wide access to Google Gemini and Copilot Chat, a dedicated AI career pipeline, standalone ethics courses across five departments, and a $50.8M ethics research grant.
The Data, AI, and Computing Initiative, directed by Nitesh Chawla, coordinates AI strategy alongside the Lucy Family Institute and a dedicated AI Innovation Council. The DELTA Network, a faith-based AI ethics framework, draws on Lilly Endowment support, while the decade-long Notre Dame-IBM Technology Ethics Lab pairs Notre Dame faculty with IBM researchers on applied ethics research. Students can pursue AI minors through Mendoza or the university-wide MAEB track launching Fall 2026. Private research universities with programs this mature usually add a standalone undergraduate AI major and a C-suite-level AI executive title.
Pillar grades
- Commitment: A-
- Curriculum: A+
- Partnerships: B+
- Research: B+
A(I)ttitude™: leading edge
Selected Highlights
- Nitesh Chawla holds the title Lucy Family Director for Data & AI Academic Strategy, a university-wide role with explicit AI in title; Ahmed Abbasi named Deputy Director of DAC Initiative and Director of Lucy Family Institute; Brandon Rich serves as Director of AI Enablement reporting to senior IT leadership.
- AI Innovation Council confirmed with named chair (VP of IT Jane Livingston and Director of AI Enablement Brandon Rich), cross-divisional membership, monthly cadence, and public web presence at ai.nd.edu/about/ai-innovation-council/.
- Notre Dame 2033 Strategic Framework names Data, AI, and Computing as a strategic initiative; GAIT Recommendations Report (February 2024) published; official Generative AI Policy for Students published; DELTA framework launched September 2025.
- $50.8M Lilly Endowment grant (December 2025) confirmed as institution-specific; additional confirmed grants include $20M IBM, $10M Templeton, $539K Lilly planning grant, $500K NEH, $1.5M NSF, $1.2M NSF.
- DAC Initiative launched September 2025 with named director Nitesh Chawla; Lucy Family Institute directed by Ahmed Abbasi; SAI Initiative directed by Brett Savoie; AITAR Lab directed by Adam Czajka; 19 working groups active; AI@ND hub confirmed.