UW–Madison designates 2026 as the ‘Year of AI Readiness and Competency’

The effort, which supports a number of campus priorities, will focus on a people-centered approach to guide thoughtful use of artificial intelligence on campus.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison will designate 2026 as the "Year of AI Readiness and Competency" in a coordinated, campuswide effort to ensure that students, faculty and staff are prepared to use artificial intelligence thoughtfully, responsibly and in service to the Wisconsin Idea.

The effort builds on the investments made as part of the AI-focus area of the Wisconsin Research, Innovation and Scholarly initiative, or RISE-AI, which has strengthened faculty hiring, research capacity and foundational infrastructure. It advances the university's new five-year strategic framework, launched in April 2026, with shared priorities focused on innovative educational experiences, ambitious research, an institutional culture of excellence and the university's public mission, particularly with respect to complex challenges like AI. And the effort complements the July 2026 launch of the College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, charged with addressing AI trust, fairness and governance alongside research and workforce preparation.

In 2026, UW-Madison will move from early investment toward broad institutional readiness, placing people, judgment and institutional guardrails at the center. To guide the work, Provost John Zumbrunnen has established the AI Readiness and Competency Working Group, co-chaired by Didier Contis, chief information officer and vice provost for information technology, and Professor Kristin Eschenfelder, interim dean of the College of Letters & Science.

"Artificial intelligence is already reshaping higher education," says Zumbrunnen. "Our responsibility is to lead with a human-centered approach to readiness: one that views AI as a tool to amplify - not replace - the unique curiosity, creativity and critical thinking of our Badger community."

A 'people first' approach

Rather than focusing solely on technology adoption, the Year of AI Readiness and Competency emphasizes UW-Madison's collective capacity to recognize:

• when AI use is appropriate
• the skills to use AI effectively within one's role
• the flexibility to adapt as technologies evolve

"We are investing in people first," Zumbrunnen emphasizes, "ensuring that human judgment and the public good always guide our technological progress."

The initiative also emphasizes ethical use and exercising sound judgment specific to one's responsibilities at the university. Rather than communicating abstract principles, the initiative's goals include creating practical expectations for how people across the institution should engage with these tools.

While AI holds immense potential to transform teaching, learning and research innovation, as well as campus administrative services, university leaders also recognize the ethical considerations, environmental impact and concerns about academic integrity as artificial intelligence continues to proliferate at breakneck pace.

"As AI becomes more embedded in teaching, research, outreach and operations, our obligation is clear," says Zumbrunnen. "We must prepare our community to use these tools wisely, ethically and in service of the public good."

By designating 2026 as the Year of AI Readiness and Competency, UW-Madison affirms its commitment to pairing innovation with responsibility - and to shaping the future of AI "the Badger Way ": with curiosity, humility, tenacity, civility and a bit of playfulness, grounded in a commitment to supporting all members of the UW community.

Guiding principles

The Year of AI Readiness and Competency will follow three guiding principles: AI augments human capacity, rather than replaces it; decisions should be deliberate, rather than reactive; and campus-level coordination should leave room for local implementation within schools, colleges and divisions.

The working group draws representatives from existing campus groups that serve as liaisons for their constituencies, ensuring coordination across efforts. It is not a new governance body. Updates on the working group's progress and any opportunities for community engagement will be shared as they develop.

The Office of Strategic Consulting is supporting the working group through facilitation, process design and thought partnership. Soyeon Shim, dean of the School of Human Ecology, who previously led a deans' working group, will serve as an advisor to the provost and the co-chairs.

The working group's charge is to develop a campus AI Readiness and Competency framework that includes four key components:

• A plain language statement about AI acceptable use and guardrails
• A review of existing university policies and procedures for potential improvements
• Coordination of role-based AI literacy resources and training
• Short- and long-term recommendations for campus AI governance and readiness-focused investments beyond 2026

The group's efforts will culminate in clear institutional guidance and recommendations for sustained leadership in 2027 and beyond, after the Year of AI Readiness and Competency concludes.