To democratize access to AI technology nationwide, AI education and deployment can’t be limited to a few urban tech hubs — it must reach every community, university and state.
That’s why NVIDIA is working with cities, states and educational institutions to embed AI education and innovation across the U.S., with the goal of helping the next generation of American developers, researchers and engineers lead the global AI economy.
These initiatives — which span state-level AI factories, municipal strategies for AI-driven economic development and educational initiatives for students of all ages — have the potential to change generational outcomes by driving workforce development and economic growth in communities nationwide.
At NVIDIA GTC Washington, D.C., running through Wednesday, Oct. 29, government and educational institutions including the State of Utah, the City of Rancho Cordova and Miles College are discussing recent collaborations with NVIDIA to spur AI training and innovation.
Utah Launches First State AI Factory
The University of Utah recently unveiled an AI factory initiative with NVIDIA and HPE that will more than triple the university’s computing capacity with a $50 million investment of public and philanthropic funds into AI infrastructure.
The multiyear effort will support the university’s healthcare and scientific research, including projects focused on Alzheimer’s, cancer, genetics and mental health.
“With this initiative, we aim to build the AI infrastructure needed to fuel a strong ecosystem of developers, students and researchers across the state,” said Taylor Randall, president of the University of Utah. “This boost in compute availability will help drive research and entrepreneurship across scientific disciplines.”
Utah is also among a growing number of states — including California, Mississippi and Oregon — collaborating with NVIDIA to enhance AI education efforts and boost regional economic development.
Through an initiative announced earlier this year, Utah is equipping educators at the state’s universities, community colleges and adult education programs with AI skills and certification through the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute University Ambassador Program.
It’s part of a broader effort to ensure the state’s educational system is preparing teachers and students with AI skills.
The AI Ecosystem as a Policy Engine: Rancho Cordova’s Municipal Innovation Strategy
Rancho Cordova, California — a city of about 85,000 residents located less than 15 miles from Sacramento — is collaborating with NVIDIA and the Human Machine Collaboration Institute (HMCI) to boost the city’s AI capabilities with AI infrastructure, workforce upskilling and student training.
In this critical period of AI advancement, the city aims to generate economic value by developing an AI and robotics ecosystem that will attract AI businesses to Rancho Cordova with reliable power infrastructure and workforce pipelines from local colleges and universities. The city then plans to reinvest revenue from the new AI businesses into building its local AI ecosystem with workforce development programs, research and additional AI infrastructure.
“Rancho Cordova is charting new territory by developing an AI ecosystem that unites industry, education and government to shape the future of economic growth,” said Rancho Cordova City Manager Micah Runner. “In collaboration with NVIDIA and HMCI, we’re exploring how cities can use AI to drive innovation, strengthen the economy and expand opportunities for our community.”
As a research institution, HMCI sees the Rancho Cordova initiative as a flagship example that can be shared with other cities to fuel their local economies.
“It’s essential that every city is thinking about how they can adapt and change with AI,” said Sadie St. Lawrence, founder and CEO of HMCI. “In Rancho Cordova, we’re showing that you don’t have to be one of the Silicon Valleys of the world to start to infuse AI technology into your ecosystem.”
Scaling AI Education Through College and University Partnerships
To help prepare students for careers in the evolving AI landscape, NVIDIA is working with educational platforms for high schools, colleges and universities nationwide, as well as professional organizations, to integrate AI education for learners of all backgrounds.
Miles College, a historically Black college (HBCU) located in Fairfield, Alabama, is collaborating with NVIDIA to integrate AI across academic programs, faculty research and community engagement.
NVIDIA is providing access to Deep Learning Institute resources, frameworks and development tools to expand the college’s AI curriculum — and help train and certify faculty and students in AI and accelerated computing. The company will also work with Miles College to identify and position resources and partnerships to catalyze innovation and economic development for surrounding communities.
“We’re implementing AI fluency to be a core competency for every Miles College graduate — no matter what field they’re in — so that they’re prepared not only for success in their careers, but for leadership in their communities,” said Bobbie Knight, president of Miles College. “This initiative is about inspiring innovation and expanding opportunity, not just within the walls of Miles College but throughout the state — because when our students thrive, our entire region grows stronger.”
Miles College is already implementing AI campus-wide, with nearly half of faculty regularly integrating AI into course design and student learning modules, and about 60% of the college’s research supported by AI.
Knight last year established the 2150 Center for Innovation, Commercialization and Growth, an initiative to champion HBCU tech and boost innovation in the region with resources to support founders and entrepreneurs and fuel successful businesses.
The presidents of the University of Utah and Miles College will join leaders from Coppin State University and Houston City College in a GTC Washington, D.C., panel Wednesday. The session will showcase how colleges and universities across the country integrate AI into their curricula, supporting state and regional economic goals while preparing students for high-demand job sectors.
NVIDIA is working with other American educational institutes and professional organizations including:
- California College of the Arts: The nonprofit art and design college is collaborating with NVIDIA to integrate AI and GPU-accelerated computing into visual art, architecture and interactive media — and provide AI education through the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute.
- Black Tech Street: This Tulsa, Oklahoma-based organization is working with NVIDIA to catalyze AI innovation and train up to 10,000 people in AI through collaborations with educational institutions and community organizations.
- Black Women in Artificial Intelligence: A three-year agreement with NVIDIA aims to expand access to AI education and professional networks to innovative organizations in the AI industry.
- StudyFetch: This AI-powered educational platform, a member of the NVIDIA Inception program for startups, is bringing NVIDIA Academy to high-school students nationwide, starting with the AI for All course. The initiative launches today with students from the Washington, D.C.-based Friendship Public Charter School and Richard Wright Public Charter Schools.
“Our mission is to make sure every student everywhere can succeed,” said Sam Whitaker, vice president of social impact and strategic initiatives at StudyFetch. “With AI, we have the chance to close opportunity and workforce readiness gaps across the country. That work starts right now.”
The StudyFetch collaboration is the first milestone in NVIDIA’s K-12 AI education plan, which was announced earlier this year with StudyFetch and CK-12, another leading K-12 learning platform. The effort is aligned with the White House executive order Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth.
Watch the GTC Washington, D.C., keynote from NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang and explore sessions.