TEK Faculty Fellow Presents AI Vision to Kentucky Legislature Taskforce
Tama The, M.D., and Hubert Ballard, M.D., from the University of Kentucky's College of Medicine, recently presented to a joint Kentucky House and Senate taskforce on artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing the University of Kentucky's commitment to preparing students for a rapidly evolving technological future. Their presentation highlighted a developing university-wide effort to equip students across disciplines with the skills to use AI ethically and effectively in solving real-world challenges.
A central focus of their presentation was TEK100: Collaborative Intelligence: Understanding and Using Modern AI, a new course launching this fall. Co-taught by Dr. The and Katherine Thompson, Ph.D., the course aims to build foundational AI literacy among undergraduates, regardless of their major. Students will engage with ethical and technical aspects of AI while developing solutions to real-world problems that matter to Kentuckians.
“We expect that every single one of our students that walks through the door is going to be in touch with AI in some way,” Dr. The explained during the presentation. “Every single one of them are going to need to understand the fundamentals of how to use it.”
Dr. The and Dr. Thompson are among more than 30 TEK Faculty Fellows leading transdisciplinary-focused learning across campus. Dr. The, a pediatrician with UK HealthCare and an assistant professor in the College of Medicine, brings a clinical lens to the conversation, informed by his work with Dr. Ballard to improve healthcare outcomes in Kentucky through AI. Dr. Thompson, a statistician and associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, is the founder and principal investigator of the AI Machine Learning Hub—a university initiative advancing AI education and research.
Together, they are spearheading a multidisciplinary approach to AI instruction that goes beyond coding or algorithms. TEK100 is designed to cultivate collaborative intelligence, encouraging students from diverse backgrounds to merge ideas, technology, and domain expertise to tackle challenges that single disciplines can't solve alone.
Dr. The underscored the university’s broader strategy: “We're building innovators in all disciplines... [to bring students together] to share ideas and technology and design solutions to problems that otherwise couldn't be solved.”
TEK100 is part of a growing movement at UK to integrate AI into education and research across campus. Dr. The highlighted examples of AI use in the College of Medicine, the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, the College of Social Work, and the College of Design, illustrating how AI is already enhancing discovery, improving efficiency, and strengthening decision-making in diverse fields.
“All of this is essentially working towards making lives better in Kentucky,” Dr. The concluded.
By empowering students with the tools to understand and apply AI responsibly, UK aims to position its graduates as ethical, creative problem-solvers—ready to shape the future of the Commonwealth.
