The CTO Blog

AI Training Challenges

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0700

A professor recently shared with me that he was preparing to integrate generative AI into a course. Curious, I asked how he deals with the fact that whatever he tells the students about AI will be obsolete before the end of the semester. He laughed - ‘I’m waiting until the week before each class to put my slides together.’ Of course academics often navigate paths at the forefront of knowledge, but what about within the University administration?

AI is not creative - you are

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0800

Through many discussions over the last few years with creatives– authors, musicians, faculty and staff in the humanities, as well as in my own family– I understand the feeling of powerlessness over artificial intelligence capabilities that could threaten our human agency and creativity. But let’s look from a different angle…

Dave Birss's hands-on generative AI course

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 12:00:00 -0700

Next, let’s shift gears and get hands on with an entertaining course by Dave Birss. He has an earlier course covering similar material that’s part of LinkedIn Learning’s AI Literacy path, but I’m recommending the more recently created How to Research and Write Using Generative AI Tools.

Responsible AI- Principles and Practical Applications course

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 12:00:00 -0700

LinkedIn Learning’s Responsible AI course, taught by Berkeley academics, starts with a conceptual overview on what AI is and isn’t– followed by a balanced consideration of benefits and risks.

Unofficial CTO Recommendations: AI Courses for Berkeley Staff

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 12:00:00 -0700

From engineering to smart prompting to social impact, considerations on how to use AI are vast and rapidly evolving, integrated into every app and tool we’re using today– a daily explosion of new opportunities and challenges to consider.

Conference Notes — Language and AI: Generating Interdisciplinary Connections and Possibilities at Berkeley

Thu, 09 May 2024 12:00:00 -0700

Notes from the conference hosted by the Berkeley Language Center and the Townsend Center’s Language and AI working group exploring interdisciplinary connections between language, culture, and AI.

Governance and Community for AI at Berkeley

Thu, 09 May 2024 12:00:00 -0700

An overview of Berkeley’s approach to AI governance and community engagement, balancing innovation with responsible implementation through foundational governance, community building, and functional governance.

Launching the UC Berkeley AI Community and the Berkeley AI Meetup

Thu, 09 May 2024 12:00:00 -0700

Announcement of the creation of the UC Berkeley AI Community, replacing the Cloud Computing Community of Practice to focus on the university’s evolving needs in artificial intelligence.

Berkeley's 3 Pillar Computing Infrastructure Strategy

Tue, 07 May 2024 12:00:00 -0700

UC Berkeley developed our 3 Pillar Infrastructure computing strategy in 2021 to guide investments in the University computing infrastructure, from on-campus data center spaces (the “local pillar”), new investment in data center capacity in partnership with NASA at Moffett Field (the “offsite colocation pillar”), and a public cloud pillar.

UC Berkeley Podcast Studio- Engaging & Amplifying Student Voices

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 12:00:00 -0700

Through the Berkeley Changemakers Innovation Grant, Dr. Pablo Gonzalez and his team have created a fully functioning podcast studio for students, faculty, and staff to utilize. The purpose of this studio is to give the UC Berkeley community a platform to amplify their voices.

Highlights from the 2020 Fall Technology Innovation Forum

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 12:00:00 -0700

Last month a group of inspiring and diverse group of teams celebrated their groundbreaking innovations at the Fall Technology Innovation Forum. The theme of the innovation forum was “Innovation in the Time of Coronavirus.”

BeArS@Home - 2020 Berkeley Changemaker Technology Innovation Grant Awardee