Cornell Launches AI Integration Pilots and Expands AI Fellows With $2 Million Gift
Cornell launched AI Integration Pilots and expanded its AI Fellows program, backed by a $2 million gift from Bill and Susan Dake.
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Cornell University launched two artificial intelligence initiatives for faculty and students on September 17, 2026: an AI Integration Pilots program and an expanded AI Undergraduate Fellows program, backed by a $2 million gift from alumnus William “Bill” Dake and Susan Law Dake, with additional support from the Office of the Provost, according to Cornell Chronicle. The Cornell AI Integration Pilots let faculty teams in each of the university’s colleges test AI adoption, or deliberate avoidance, in core parts of their teaching.
Vice Provost for Academic Innovation Steven Jackson said the initiative is designed around how differently AI affects each field: “Teaching unfolds differently…in different academic areas,” he said, adding that the goal is to “draw on the best thinking…turn that into AI development programs,” Cornell Chronicle reported. Bill and Susan Dake said in a statement that “every Cornell graduate should be prepared to live a productive life.”
How the Cornell AI Integration Pilots program works
Each college was asked to identify a core part of its teaching that a faculty team of three to five members, with a designated lead, could reform through AI adoption, intentional avoidance, or a hybrid approach, per Cornell Chronicle’s reporting. A graduate student or postdoctoral researcher is embedded with each team for two years to support assessment and implementation. Cornell Chronicle did not report how many colleges or teams have signed on so far, or which specific courses are involved.
The parallel AI Undergraduate Fellows Program places students as embedded research partners with faculty, helping identify where AI can be used in coursework, testing methods, and contributing to university-wide studies of learning outcomes and student experience. Implementation runs across three semesters, Spring 2027, Fall 2027 and Spring 2028, with Cornell planning to share results in spring or fall 2028.
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Gift amount | $2 million (Bill and Susan Dake), plus Office of the Provost support |
| Programs launched | AI Integration Pilots; expanded AI Undergraduate Fellows Program |
| Faculty team size | 3 to 5 members per college, with a designated lead |
| Embedded research support | 1 graduate student or postdoctoral researcher per team, for 2 years |
| Implementation timeline | Spring 2027, Fall 2027, Spring 2028 |
| Results sharing | Spring or fall 2028 |
| Announcement date | September 17, 2026 |
The launch follows Cornell’s January 2026 appointment of computer scientist Thorsten Joachims as its inaugural vice provost for artificial intelligence strategy, a role that spans research, education and operations across all of Cornell’s colleges, Cornell Tech and Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell Chronicle reported at the time. The new pilots sit within the education arm of that mandate, which includes managing both experimental and restrictive approaches to AI in classrooms.
Cornell’s approach mirrors a broader shift in higher education, where a Digital Education Council survey found 88% of students and 77% of faculty already use AI, even as faculty training on the technology lags student adoption. By funding faculty-led experimentation rather than a single top-down policy, Cornell is positioning itself to generate its own evidence on what works, at a time when researchers say hard data on AI’s classroom benefits remains scarce.
About Cornell University
Cornell University was founded in 1865 in Ithaca, New York, as a land-grant institution combining research and practical education. The university named Thorsten Joachims as its first vice provost for artificial intelligence strategy effective January 1, 2026, tasking him with coordinating AI research, coursework and operations across every Cornell college. The AI Integration Pilots and expanded AI Undergraduate Fellows Program, funded by the Dakes’ $2 million gift, extend that strategy into individual classrooms, giving Cornell faculty two years of embedded research support to test how AI should, or should not, be used in their specific disciplines before the university shares its findings in 2028.
Sources: Cornell Chronicle; Fingerlakes1.com; Cornell Chronicle
Featured image: photo by https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels (free Pexels license).
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I specialize in sustainability education, curriculum co-creation, and early-stage project strategy. At WINSS, I craft articles on sustainability, transformative AI, and related topics. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me chasing the perfect sushi roll, exploring cities around the globe, or unwinding with my dog Puffy — the world’s most loyal sidekick.
