Initiative overview
The NSF LEVEL UP AI initiative brings together stakeholders from academia, industry, and non-profit organisations to address growing demand for artificial intelligence education and the limited capacity of institutions to meet this need. Through 32 virtual roundtables involving 202 experts from diverse institutional backgrounds, the initiative identifies challenges such as shortages of faculty expertise, insufficient computational infrastructure, and the burden of updating curricula in a rapidly evolving field. These discussions aim to inform strategies that improve AI education across undergraduate institutions.
A central issue addressed is the mismatch between workforce demand for AI skills and the availability of educational programmes. The initiative highlights structural barriers, including limited access to AI courses, lack of qualified instructors, and unequal access to resources across institutions. It also identifies disparities affecting under-resourced and minority-serving institutions, emphasising the need for inclusive approaches that expand participation and improve access to AI learning opportunities.
The initiative proposes a range of actions to increase capacity, including continuous professional development for faculty, interdisciplinary curriculum design, and the integration of ethics and societal considerations throughout AI education. It also promotes the creation of collaborative structures such as faculty learning communities, partnerships with industry, and shared repositories of educational resources to reduce duplication and support curriculum development.
