Siobahn Day Grady Wants Everyone to Be AI Literate
TL;DR
AI is reshaping the skills employers expect from new graduates, and universities are racing to launch courses, research centers, and industry partnerships in response. But funding and industry networks remain unevenly distributed across higher education. In January 2025, associate professor Siobahn Day Grady launched the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research at North Carolina Central University, the first AI research institute at an HBCU, to help students and faculty build AI skills.
Nauti's Take
The progress is real: a dedicated AI institute at an HBCU opens access to skills and networks that otherwise sit with a few well-funded universities. The challenge stays funding, because courses and compute cost money every year and industry partners rarely commit long term.
Employers hiring now will find practical talent in programs like this, while schools without their own offering keep falling behind.
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