When Jeff Guan arrived at the University of Louisville in 1986 to study computer engineering, artificial intelligence (AI) was still a niche, largely academic pursuit – programs that could recognize a hand tool on a factory floor felt like breakthroughs. Now, Guan is leading , UofL’s overarching vision for AI across the university, guiding how the campus teaches, researches and works with the technology. It’s an effort built for an entirely different kind of student: one who has never known a classroom without AI. UofL News sat down with Guan for a Q&A on campus-wide AI adoption, how teaching with technology has evolved and what still matters about being human.
UofL News: AI has become one of the biggest conversations in higher education. Why is now the right time for UofL to launch Cardinal Intelligence, and what is your vision for it?
Guan: AI is no longer simply another technology that universities can choose whether to adopt it; it has permeated every aspect of our life. It affects the way we learn, the way we work and the way we conduct research. The question is no longer whether AI will affect higher education, but whether we will shape that change thoughtfully or simply react.
Cardinal Intelligence gives us a shared vision and a coordinated strategy. It allows us to connect those efforts, learn from one another and move forward as one university rather than as a collection of isolated projects. My vision is for UofL to become a leading Al-enabled university that remains deeply human.
We want every student to graduate prepared to understand Al, evaluate it critically, collaborate with it and use it responsibly. We want our faculty to have the tools and support to transform teaching and accelerate discovery. We also want to help businesses, government agencies and community organizations navigate this transformation.
It’s not about technology for technology’s sake. It is about using Al to amplify human potential, expand opportunity and improve lives – thoughtfully, and together.
UofL News: Why is it important that AI education extends across all disciplines? How do you get, say, a photography or nursing student as interested as a business or engineering student?
Guan: AI is taking off because the user base has exploded in the last few years. Generative AI has made access to knowledge, and the ability to create new knowledge, far more accessible. That’s the key. In fact, the biggest bang for the buck is in AI applications for non-technical, non-computer-science fields.
Take photography. If that’s your passion, you can use AI to build image databases and process images in ways you couldn’t before. The truly meaningful applications of photography will come from people who understand photography.
You mentioned nursing, too. Nurses have access to huge amounts of patient data. With AI, you can build applications that detect patterns in patient behavior. Organizationally, that lets you respond much faster. In a nursing home, for instance, you could detect behavior patterns that tend to precede falls, which can be disastrous for an older patient. That’s the kind of meaningful application that’s really pushing AI forward.
UofL News: This fall’s incoming class of first-year students may be the first generation of true “AI natives.” What does that mean?
Guan: Generative AI came out in late fall 2022. The students entering college now were just starting high school at that point. Suddenly there was this seemingly magical technology that could talk to you and answer your homework problems.
These students may arrive at college with very different expectations. They may expect learning to be more personalized, information to be instantly available and technology to respond conversationally to their questions. That creates tremendous opportunities but also a lot of responsibilities.
Our species, Homo sapiens, evolved by sitting around a fire telling stories within six feet of each other. Human interaction is critical. Higher education today runs almost like an assembly line and that model persists because it’s the only one that’s been economically feasible for educating large populations. But with AI, that no longer has to be the case. Maybe we could teach students the way Plato taught Aristotle.
That’s why students are coming in expecting AI to be part of their educational experience. Expectations vary, but they wouldn’t be surprised to see AI used in the classroom, or to see policies that say, “This is a foundational skill. Do it independently, without AI.” They’ve likely already encountered that in high school. We need to be ready for this generation of students, and future ones. That’s why we created Cardinal Intelligence.
UofL News: What advice would you give students who are excited, or maybe a little nervous, about AI’s impact on their future careers?
Guan: First, I would tell them that both excitement and concern are reasonable. AI will change jobs. It will automate certain tasks and alter employees’ value. But students should not view their future as competition between humans and machines.
The most useful question is: How can I combine what AI does well with that I uniquely bring as a human?
Second, follow your passion. If you like photography, stick with it. If you like nursing, stick with it. AI is becoming a general-purpose technology, but it isn’t precise in every area. I’d describe where AI is headed as becoming almost like a “thought hardware.” Become someone who can identify the right problem, not simply someone who knows how to enter the right prompt.
UofL News: Earlier you talked about the power of storytelling, and how humans tell each other stories to share information. As AI becomes more woven into everyday life, what do you think becomes more important about being human?
Guan: Humans bring something AI can’t: context. That’s what makes us human. Judgment matters too. In higher education broadly, being able to judge what’s valuable and what isn’t. You can elevate that to a philosophical or ethical discussion, but it also shows up constantly in everyday work. Integrity matters.
And as I said, our species evolved telling stories around the fire. Human interaction is going to become even more important. Will people rely on AI for routine medical diagnostics? Probably. But when you have a real issue, you want to talk to your human doctor and trust them. That’s uniquely human, and those traits will become more valuable, not less.
UofL News: We have a few rapid-fire questions now. What’s your favorite AI tool?
Guan: NotebookLM. It helps people explore and organize from their own trusted sources rather than simply generating answers.
UofL News: A book or podcast you’d recommend?
Guan: “Co-Intelligence” by Ethan Mollick. It offers a practical and accessible way to think about working with AI while maintaining human judgement and responsibility.
UofL News: What’s the biggest AI myth?
Guan: That AI is either magic or menace. It’s neither. It is a powerful capacity, and its impact will depend on the choices people and institutions make about how to use it.
UofL News: Complete the sentence: “The future belongs to people who…”
Guan: …can think with AI, but without surrendering judgment, imagination and humanity that make the thinking matter.
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Cardinal Intelligence empowers the University of Louisville to lead and learn in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) with human-centered guidance and responsibility. For generations, Cardinals have embraced technology, expanding how we learn, discover, connect and work. While AI raises important questions, our students, faculty, researchers and staff bring the curiosity and innovation needed to find answers. Through Cardinal Intelligence, we are shaping how UofL uses AI to advance our university and uncover solutions that strengthen the communities we serve.
