New Alabama Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence Created to Support Education, Economic Development, Technology Parity and Access

A public-private partnership based in Auburn, Alabama has established the Alabama Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence (AAICE, pronounced ace) to improve the development and understanding of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

“As innovation continues to advance, it is imperative that rural and other underserved areas maintain parity in education and training,” said AAICE President and Chair, Kenny Brock, DVM, PhD, Associate Dean for Biomedical Affairs and Research at the VCOM–Auburn Campus. “This initiative will enable our students to gain new knowledge and skills, our researchers to receive new funding and insights, and the citizens of Alabama to benefit from a wide range of high-tech business ventures.”

AAICE encompasses multiple higher education institutions including Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), Alabama State University, Auburn University, Central Alabama Community College, Southern Union State Community College, Talladega College, Trenholm State Community College, and Tuskegee University; the cities of Auburn, Montgomery, and Opelika; and AUBix, LLC, a mission-critical, multi-tenant datacenter.

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AAICE was created to bring technology parity to traditionally underserved rural areas. The 501(c)(3) is expected to help:

• Support research and development initiatives
• Foster innovation and bolster cybersecurity
• Develop a technologically adept workforce
• Improve healthcare delivery
• Spark economic development

The availability of this supercomputing capability will also benefit military organizations, state agencies, local city and county entities, and a wide range of Alabama industries locally and throughout the state. While initially focused on Alabama, the resources at AAICE will be accessible to both education and business organizations throughout the region and across the nation.

A central focus of AAICE is workforce development, with programs to help meet the high demand for data science, medical informatics, cybersecurity, and AI professionals. The educational programs will help to drive technology parity by including minority students as well as students from economically disadvantaged areas of the state and provide training for roles ranging from technicians to undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs.

Supporting Academic Institutions

AAICE will leverage industry-leading NVIDIA technologies at AUBix. Since November 2022, numerous professors, researchers, doctoral students and graduate students from Alabama colleges have participated in NVIDIA-proctored Deep Learning Institute educational training.

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The close alignment of AAICE with industry will ensure that educational programs and research at AAICE is guided by business needs and identified applications, allowing students to gain real-world experience while supporting Alabama enterprises. The center will also support a wide range of research and development.

“AAICE will be a catalyst for change, providing us with opportunities to engage with cutting-edge AI technologies and equipping our students and faculty with essential skills for the future. We are honored to be a part of this initiative and look forward to the growth and development it will bring to our institution and the wider community,” said Dr. Carl S. Pettis, Alabama State University’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

According to Dr. Vini Nathan, Auburn University Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, “At Auburn University, we are already using the presence of this state-of-the-art technology to support applications for federal research grants. Additionally, I believe that AAICE will complement our current initiatives around AI and machine learning and jumpstart our students’ careers by familiarizing them with the technology that is going to be integral to business in the future.”

“AAICE will provide a twofold benefit to this region,” said Dr. S. Keith Hargrave, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Tuskegee University. “Not only will it help in recruiting new industry with high-paying jobs, but it will help us retain our top students and talent. This success will benefit all aspects of our lives.”

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