The University of Alabama
10/30/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/30/2025 10:18
UA Advances Research Across Disciplines through AI Infrastructure Investments
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Artificial intelligence encompasses more than chatbots and image generators. AI is fundamental to accelerating scientific research by leveraging the processing power of machine learning.
At the Alabama Higher Education AI Exchange, hosted this year at The University of Alabama, industry leaders and faculty from around the state presented a spectrum of research concerning AI technology and methods.
One of the limitations imposed on such research across The University and the state is computing power. AI and machine learning are expensive in terms of both money and energy.
Fernanda Foertter, executive director of UA's High Performance Computing and Data Center, currently under construction, described the expected capabilities and the potential opportunities presented by the University's investment in a center of this caliber.
"It's a huge commitment that the University has made to have this capability here," she said. "Having access to the GPUs at the HPC will enable our faculty and students to do scientific-level research and AI."
Foertter pointed out that an HPC is a resource for the entire state-and it's not only computer scientists who need access to the power of an HPC to do research at the forefront of their fields.
UA already leverages AI capabilities in a wide variety of ways, such as, developing a tool to recognize physical indicators of pain in premature infants, probing the nature of dark matter and integrating machine learning with computational chemistry to predict more effective catalysts. UA faculty members are also exploring the capabilities of AI in teaching, ethics and law.
Having the HPC on campus will also unlock a chain of future opportunities for students, who will be able to access these systems on campus.
"This is a staging center," Foertter said. "Success for me will be seeing our students outgrow our center's capabilities. You can only prepare for big allocations at big centers if you've had this experience at the institutional level."
The construction of the HPC project is funded jointly by U.S. Department of Commerce under a Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 and funding made available by the State of Alabama.
With an expected completion date in 2026, students at UA and across the state can look forward to newly open doors in AI-powered research.
The University of Alabama, part of The University of Alabama System, is the state's flagship university. UA shapes a better world through its teaching, research and service. With a global reputation for excellence, UA provides a forward-thinking environment and over 200 degree programs on a beautiful, student-centered campus. A leader in cutting-edge research, UA advances discovery, creative inquiry and knowledge through more than 30 research centers. As the state's largest higher education institution, UA drives economic growth in Alabama and beyond.
Contact
Jessica Nelson, [email protected]
The University of Alabama published this content on October 30, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 30, 2025 at 16:18 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]