LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Texas Tech University System Chancellor Brandon Creighton addressed the university’s partnership with Nvidia during his “State of the System” address on Tuesday afternoon.
To support its growth and research capabilities, Texas Tech is bringing in what Creighton calls the most powerful AI chip in the world.
$25 million investment in AI platform
The system is investing $25 million into Nvidia’s Blackwell Ultra 8300 AI platform. It’s expected to power an AI factory on campus focused on military applications and health care.
Chancellor calls for regulation
Creighton says there are well-founded concerns about AI and data centers, and says technology should help solve those problems.
“It’s not popular, I understand the fear, but the technologies are evolving in such a way that the guardrails that our very incredible delegation we’re sending to Austin will offer forward on protecting not my back yard, protecting our natural resources and bolstering our electric grid, those kinds of solutions are going to be brought this session and we’ll see where that ends up,” Creighton said.
“We don’t have the luxury of waiting,” Creighton said. “It will either be done for us — I say it often and some of you have heard this — we’ll either be designing the menu or we’ll be on it.”
Creighton also says the university needs to lead in regulating artificial intelligence.
State Sen. Perry has plans to work with AI companies to build those regulations to support the communities they move into. The legislative session starts in January.
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