WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Nov. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Building on previous collaborations, Purdue University and Google are charting a path toward deeper collaboration in artificial intelligence — one that would weave together education and research to prepare the next generation of AI leaders while advancing the technology itself.
Leaders from both organizations discussed this shared commitment with stakeholders Thursday (Nov. 13) at AI Frontiers: Uniting Education, Business and Government for Real-World Innovation, which they co-hosted to advance dialogue on AI’s role in education and research.
“We aim to expand Google and Purdue’s partnership and place AI in the hands of every student, faculty and staff member, as well as at the core of curriculum,” said Karen Dahut, CEO of Google Public Sector. “Purdue and Google are already working together to analyze tremendous amounts of data that makes roads safer, and we look forward to expanding our partnership in the future. We are deeply committed and excited to be working alongside President Chiang and his team.”
Purdue University President Mung Chiang emphasized how this public-private partnership will accelerate breakthrough AI research while preparing the next generation of students to tackle society’s most pressing challenges.
“It is a momentous day for Purdue’s AI strategy today at the Google-Purdue AI Summit. Purdue University and Google aim to grow this exciting strategic AI partnership in the coming years, both in research through physical AI and in education through AI working competency,” Chiang said. “In particular, Purdue and Google will work together to put the most advanced AI tools in the hands of every Purdue student, as all Boilermaker graduates from one of the largest top universities in the country will be ready for an AI-driven workplace no matter their choice of career fields.”
In response to AI’s rapidly evolving role across industries, Purdue announced plans at the summit to introduce a new working AI competency graduation requirement with implementation scheduled to take effect with incoming students in fall 2026. Pending approval from the Purdue Board of Trustees, this foundational curriculum innovation will ensure that all Purdue students have working competency in AI tools and applications for the future of work.
The daylong forum in Indianapolis brought together university and industry leaders to examine how AI and emerging technologies are transforming critical sectors, including advanced manufacturing, health care, national security and agriculture. Discussions underscored the vital role of collaborative efforts in advancing responsible innovation and workforce development.
Dimitrios Peroulis, senior vice president for partnerships and online at Purdue, said industry leaders depend on trusted partners who can help accelerate innovation while also preparing the next generation of talent.
“Whether it’s smart medical devices, autonomous farm equipment or AI-enabled drones, this summit illustrates how AI is rapidly becoming a critical part of health care, manufacturing, farming and defense,” Peroulis said. “Students who can bridge the digital and physical realms will lead in these fields.”
Featured summit speakers included Chris Hein, head of public sector engineering at Google; Srikanth Thirumalai, vice president of engineering at Waymo; and U.S. Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, who was a co-author of the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America Act, or the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.
Hein is field chief technology officer at Google Public Sector, where he partners with government and education leaders to apply AI to advance their most critical missions. He is dedicated to ensuring technology is used ethically and effectively.
Thirumalai is vice president of onboard software at Waymo, an autonomous driving technology company. He leads the development of software stack and machine learning models that power the Waymo Driver’s perception, prediction and planning.
Physical AI is a core component of Purdue Computes, a comprehensive university initiative that emphasizes four key pillars of Purdue’s extensive technological and computational environment — computing departments, physical AI, quantum science and semiconductor innovation.
Demonstrating Purdue’s national leadership in the revolutionary technology, the university created Purdue’s Institute for Physical Artificial Intelligence. IPAI is the nation’s first research institute dedicated to advancing AI in the physical world.
Supporting Purdue and Google in this event are Purdue Institute for Physical Artificial Intelligence, the Purdue Office of Industry Partnerships, Purdue Online and the Purdue Office of Research.
About Purdue University
Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.
Media contact: Erin Murphy, ermurphy@purdue.edu
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Erin Murphy Purdue University ermurphy@purdue.edu
