UT Austin's Next AI Chapter: New Tools, New Possibilities
It's been two years since UT Austin's AI journey began, and a lot has changed.
In this episode, Vice President of Technology and CIO, Cole Camplese, sits down with three members of the AI Studio team: Cody Antunez, Director of Engineering and Innovation; Mario Guerra, Associate Vice President for AI Platforms and Innovation; and Curtis Maughan, Community and Research Lead, to discuss how the University evolved from UT Spark's multi-model platform to enterprise partnerships with frontier AI providers including Anthropic and OpenAI.
The conversation explores why UT shifted from an AI strategy focused primarily on access to one centered on enablement, tool capability, and responsible adoption. The group discusses how Claude and ChatGPT complement one another across teaching, research, and administration, how enterprise AI is being implemented within complex environments that include healthcare and research requirements, and how the AI Studio is helping campus move beyond "how do I use this tool?" to "how can this transform my work?"
They also examine the rapid rise of AI-powered builders across campus, the challenges of deploying AI-created applications at scale, the growing AI Champions community, and the culture of experimentation emerging as faculty, staff, and students learn to turn ideas into working solutions. Along the way, they reflect on how conversational and voice-driven AI are reshaping workflows, problem-solving, and the future of work at UT Austin.