Washington

AnIndian-origin couple has donated $20 million to the University of North Texas, which will name a new artificial intelligence and advanced analytics college after them.

The Anuradha and Vikas Sinha College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics will be an academic hub focused on the development, application and responsible use of artificial intelligence, intelligent systems and data analytics, the university said Tuesday (local time).

The gift will create six permanent endowments supporting college leadership, student scholarships, professorships, entrepreneurship and incubation, advanced research and emerging technologies.

The college will combine programmes in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, advanced analytics, health informatics, information science, library science and learning technologies.

It will also connect faculty and students across disciplines through shared infrastructure, collaborative research and industry partnerships.

"Anu and I see this as an investment in what students will be able to imagine and accomplish in the years ahead," Vikas Sinha said.

He said the college would go beyond teaching students how to use AI. "It will prepare them to build it, understand it, question it, govern it and apply it responsibly -- developing both the builders and the stewards of intelligent systems."

The college plans two academic divisions. The Division of Applied Intelligence and Informatics will focus on building and deploying intelligent systems. The Division of Information and Learning Applications will study how information and intelligent systems work in human and institutional settings.

A new Applied Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Institute will connect AI and analytics research and education across UNT. It is intended to expand interdisciplinary research, shared infrastructure, external funding and industry partnerships.