University of Oklahoma
OK · AI Readiness #86 of 227
AIREDEX™ Score: 7.6 /10
Oklahoma launched its first undergraduate AI degree in Gallogly Engineering, appointed a university-wide Chief AI Officer, and built AI integration into undergraduate coursework in classics, Native American studies, and meteorology.
Shishir Shah, OU's first university-wide Chief AI Officer, leads five interdisciplinary AI working groups under the 'Lead On' strategic plan. The Data Institute for Societal Challenges has facilitated more than $53M in external research funding since 2020, and OSCER's Schooner supercomputer gives students public compute access. OU's NSF-funded AI2ES weather-and-climate institute, a five-year, $20M initiative, was not renewed in 2025, and researchers are now pursuing new federal AI funding, including a statewide AI consulting grant launched this fall. Public research universities of Oklahoma's scale typically pair this foundation with a cross-disciplinary AI credential open to all majors, which is not yet evident at OU.
Pillar grades
- Commitment: A
- Curriculum: C+
- Partnerships: C+
- Research: B+
A(I)ttitude™: progressive
Selected Highlights
- Permanent university-wide CAIO (Shishir Shah, Ph.D.) confirmed August 2025, reporting jointly to Provosts of OU Norman and OU Health Sciences; preceded by named interim CAIO (David Ebert) from February 2025.
- Five named interdisciplinary AI working groups with named co-leads, cross-campus membership (225+ participants at Sept 2025 AI Symposium), and published AI Roadmap document as public output.
- Published AI Roadmap, live current-ai-policies page, and AI as explicit pillar of 'Lead On, University: The Next Phase' strategic plan — includes goals, governance, ethics, and named programs.
- DISC (Data Institute for Societal Challenges) confirmed as cross-disciplinary AI hub with named director, $53.78M in facilitated funding, and active Fall 2026 seed investment program.
- BS in Applied Artificial Intelligence confirmed as standalone undergraduate degree (state-approved May 2024, transferred to Gallogly Engineering July 2025); first undergraduate AI degree in Oklahoma.