Siobahn Day Grady Wants Everyone to Be AI Literate

At North Carolina Central University, associate professor Siobahn Day Grady launched the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research (IAIER) in January 2025, the first AI research institute at a historically Black college or university (HBCU). The institute aims to develop AI literacy across disciplines, requiring all freshmen to take an introductory AI course designed with IBM. With a $1 million grant from Google.org, IAIER has engaged over 2,800 students, faculty, and community members through research initiatives and training. The institute has hosted events with Deloitte, FICO, and Anthropic, and held the first OpenAI Academy Summit at an HBCU. Grady plans to expand academic programs, including a computer science major and AI minor, and create a model for other universities.