Microsoft spotlights UK’s campuswide approach to AI

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 24, 2026) — As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes higher education, the University of Kentucky is taking a deliberate, people-centered approach — one that emphasizes access, responsibility and shared learning across campus.

That work was recently featured by Microsoft in a national video spotlighting UK’s use of Microsoft 365 Copilot and other AI tools. The recognition reflects how UK is aligning technology with its land-grant mission — not just adopting new tools, but building a framework to help faculty, staff and students use them thoughtfully and effectively.

“You’re hearing discussions about AI everywhere you turn,” UK President Eli Capilouto said in the video. “Sometimes the state of Kentucky gets left behind in these technological advancements.”

For UK leaders, that reality underscored both an opportunity and a responsibility.

Building a unified strategy for AI

Rather than allowing AI use to grow in silos, UK established CATS AI — the Commonwealth AI Transdisciplinary Strategy — to bring coordination and shared purpose to AI adoption. The initiative connects students, faculty and staff across disciplines, ensuring decisions about AI reflect academic values, ethical considerations and real-world needs.

“We saw this as an opportunity to become one of the first AI universities for the state of Kentucky,” said Ian McClure, vice president for innovation at UK HealthCare and associate vice president for research, innovation and economic impact at UK. “The Commonwealth AI Transdisciplinary Strategy is a framework to holistically support our entire community to responsibly adopt AI for good.”

Microsoft highlighted this coordinated framework as a key reason UK stands out nationally — noting that AI tools are paired with institutional leadership, not left to individual experimentation alone.

Turning access into opportunity

As part of its AI strategy, UK leverages Microsoft’s enterprise tools, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, to provide broad access — scaling resources so students and employees across campus can benefit, regardless of discipline or role.

“More than 70,000 students and employees have access to Microsoft 365 Copilot,” Capilouto said. “And it’s not going to stop there — it’s going to touch every corner of Kentucky.”

But university leaders emphasize that access alone is not enough.

To make AI approachable and understandable, UK launched the AI Literacy and Training Hub (ALT Hub) as part of CATS AI. The hub focuses on practical learning — helping the campus community understand how AI works, where it adds value and how to use it responsibly.

Several AI training sessions, both virtual and in-person, have happened in April and will continue into May, with additional offerings planned throughout the summer. Topics range from introductory overviews to applied use cases relevant to teaching, administration and research. More sessions will continue to roll out as interest and campus needs evolve.

AI in action across campus

Across disciplines, students and faculty are already using AI tools in ways that would have been out of reach just a few years ago.

“We are giving the students of Kentucky the opportunity to build things that typically would only be built in Silicon Valley or on the East Coast,” said Tama Thé, M.D., assistant professor in the UK College of Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine. “These are opportunities that I didn’t have. Now, we have a sandbox where people are building software and learning new strategies to use artificial intelligence.”

For medical students like Hunter Colson, that access is reshaping learning itself.

“Some tutoring companies charge $200 to $300 an hour to learn something complex like cardiology — that’s just not realistic,” Colso said. “Using tools like GitHub Copilot, we built a platform where you have a tutor in your pocket. You can interact with the material, ask questions and actually engage with the content.”

UK students are also using AI to create impact beyond the classroom. Chaelyn McGuire, a biomedical engineering sophomore, recently used AI tools to build a website supporting a philanthropic initiative for her sorority.

“I use AI every day,” McGuire said. “Copilot helped me code and launch a website from nothing. We doubled the amount of donations in half the time. I can use AI to do so much more in my community and for others.”

Looking ahead

As AI continues to evolve, UK leaders say the university’s focus remains the same: ensuring innovation serves people — and advances learning, opportunity and service across the Commonwealth.

“The impact we can have with artificial intelligence is profound,” Thé said. “It’s going to come from the students we train here — and from how they take that knowledge back to their communities to shape the future.”

Learn more about CATS AI and explore upcoming AI training opportunities through the AI Literacy and Training Hub at catsai.uky.edu.