The $50 million gift to the University of Chicago from Trustees Rica Mansueto, AB’91, and Joe Mansueto, AB’78, MBA’80, will advance the University’s ambitious vision for AI by supporting the formation of a group of faculty who are leading the use of AI in research across disciplines across the University.
It will launch the Mansueto Faculty of Mind and Machine Challenge, which seeks to generate approximately $200 million to recruit, retain and support 20 leading scholars from diverse fields who are exemplary in the use of computational lenses of thought in their disciplines. The match challenge will inspire additional philanthropy from donors who are inspired by the university’s unique approach to AI. In addition to the 20 faculty positions, the entire program will also promote investment in the broader academic ecosystem of research and education as it relates to the topics of mind and machine.
The gift reflects the University’s ambitions to develop an interdisciplinary model to advance discovery, knowledge, and human flourishing in the AI age. it makes UChicago’s AI initiativeWhich supports 10 faculty-led AI-powered research projects in areas ranging from oncology to visual arts. It also supports a dozen projects that foster a wide range of educational innovation, seeking to expand and leverage machine learning and AI in the classroom – or intentionally limit the use of AI.
President Paul Alivisatos said, “This extraordinary commitment reflects Rika and Joe Mansueto’s deep belief in the University of Chicago’s distinctive approach to inquiry—one that rewards groundbreaking scholarship, intellectual freedom, and dialogue across all disciplines.” “This is a signal period in intellectual history, and this gift will greatly advance the university as it seeks to shape advances in human thought during this era of AI and machine learning.”
Rather than confining AI to any one department, school or division, this gift will support computational-focused research and education at UChicago – teaching students how to think with, without, and about machines – and enabling faculty to open up new areas of inquiry and study around AI.
Faculty supported through the challenge may work in fields ranging from the arts and humanities to the social sciences, science, medicine, economics, business, law, and beyond – pursuing a holistic approach that considers technical knowledge and innovation as well as questions about human intelligence, creativity, and responsibility. In some cases, these scholars will hold joint appointments in computer science, mathematics, and statistics.
“For me, the University of Chicago has always stood for a special way of thinking – rigorous, curious and fearless to ask fundamental questions,” said Rica Mansueto. “As artificial intelligence reshapes nearly every sector, it is essential that this work be based not just on technical excellence, but on human judgment, responsibility, and a deep sense of purpose.”
Rika graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology in 1991. In addition to serving on the UChicago Board of Trustees, Rika is an active leader in philanthropy, education, and civic life. Joe Mansueto received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the College in 1978 and an MBA from the Graduate School of Business in 1980. Joe is the founder and executive chairman of Morningstar, a global financial information and investment research company that he launched in 1984.
The Mansuetos have long supported initiatives throughout the university, including their gift to establish the Joe and Rica Mansueto Library. With this gift, the Mansuetos lifetime commitment to the University now exceeds $117 million, reflecting decades of investment in faculty excellence, student opportunity and bold institutional vision. The Mansueto Faculty of Mind and Machine Challenge will expand its philanthropic footprint on the university.
“With AI advancing at unprecedented speed, the most significant breakthroughs will not come from technology alone,” said Joe Mansueto. “They will come from institutions that emphasize asking big questions—about how intelligence works, how humans and machines interact, and how innovation can responsibly serve society. The University of Chicago has always embraced that kind of broad, interdisciplinary inquiry, and this initiative is meant to help ensure that those values shape the future of AI.”
