Reading time: about 3 minutesProf. Thorsten Joachims, computer science and information science, was appointed to the new position of vice provost for artificial intelligence strategy on Jan. 1, according to a University press release sent on Tuesday. The Cornell AI Initiative, which Joachims currently directs, will be expanded under the position, Provost Kavita Bala told The Cornell Chronicle. The vice provost for artificial intelligence strategy will coordinate AI efforts across the university, from furthering research to strategizing classroom use. Created alongside the new position was the AI Strategy Council, consisting of Natalie Bazarova, associate vice provost for research; Steve Jackson, vice provost for academic innovation; Ben Maddox, chief information officer; Vinay Varughese, Weill Cornell chief information officer; and Fei Wang, Weill Cornell associate dean for AI and data science. This council will collaborate with Joachims on AI research and work in tandem with the Cornell AI Initiative, launched in 2021, which researches and evaluates the ethical, educational, health and labor effects of new generative technology, according to its website.

Source: Daily Sun January 29, 2026 07:01 UTC