What’s new in artificial intelligence at UNC-Chapel Hill?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- UNC-Chapel Hill appointed Saif Khairat as chief AI officer and vice provost for AI.
- UNC launched a two-year study on how North Carolinians interact with AI and libraries.
- Leigh Jeffreys Fanning was appointed to the UNC System Board of Governors.
Hello reader! I’m glad you’re here. I’m Jane Winik Sartwell, higher education reporter for the News & Observer, and this is Higher Stakes, my weekly newsletter. Let’s get into it.
New AI chief + initiatives at UNC-Chapel Hill
UNC-Chapel Hill has a new chief artificial intelligence officer and vice provost for AI: Saif Khairat, a professor in the nursing school. Khairat will continue to work as a professor as he steps into this new role on campus, which was vacated by Jeff Bardzell in March after just five months on the job.
Khairat is an expert in digital health and AI, according to UNC. He researches health informatics and serves on digital health task forces across the globe. He advises the World Health Organization on its AI policies.
“My focus will be on advancing and integrating AI at Carolina in ways that are responsible, practical, collaborative and true to our mission to serve North Carolina and the public good,” Khairat said in a statement. “I am grateful to Provost [Magnus] Egerstedt for this opportunity, and I am energized by what Carolina will accomplish.”
Meanwhile, UNC is taking on new AI initiatives. Last week, the school launched a two-year study aimed at understanding how North Carolinians are interacting with AI and if local libraries can support AI literacy. Researchers hope to identify local needs and perspectives as well as local institutional capacities and strengths.
“The study is designed not only to explore how libraries can respond to generative AI, but also to help ensure that local communities are included in conversations shaping the future of information access and digital literacy,” according to UNC.
Lee Roberts addresses sports facilities at Carolina North, but not a basketball arena
On Monday night, the Carolina North stakeholder advisory committee held its first meeting. The group includes business and nonprofit leaders, town officials, students, professors, real estate brokers, and city planners.
At one point, UNC had decided it was moving the location of its legendary basketball arena to Carolina North. Then, the outrage from former coaches and players started rolling in, causing the university to backpedal. Now, Chancellor Lee Roberts says conversations about whether to build a new basketball arena at Carolina North are on pause.
Roberts did use the word basketball on Monday night. He’s hopeful they may be able to build both tennis and basketball courts for student recreation at Carolina North.
Roberts said he sees a role for intercollegiate athletics facilities at Carolina North as well. The only UNC athletics representative on the stakeholder advisory board is Jenny Levy, head coach of the women’s lacrosse team.
“As Coach Levy, the coach of our women’s lacrosse team will attest, we have insufficient practice facilities for our men’s and women’s lacrosse teams, men’s and women’s soccer teams, insufficient competition facilities for cross-country teams, as well as practice facilities,” Roberts told the committee. “So many universities are facing these same kinds of challenges, insufficient space for both intercollegiate athletics and student rec facilities, and a need to expand, [but] most universities can’t do anything about it.”
Former ECU trustee appointed to UNC System Board of Governors
The NC Senate passed a bill appointing Leigh Jeffreys Fanning to the UNC System Board of Governors. The East Carolina University alum and former trustee was the vice president of R.A. Jeffreys Distributing, a beer distribution company.
Fanning will replace O. Temple Sloan, former CEO of the auto parts supplier General Parts Inc., who resigned from the board in 2025.
Higher ed headlines from this week
- UNC Athletics celebrated Pride month in social media post. Now, it’s deleted. by me
- UNC-Chapel Hill is trying to prove its worth. Here’s what that looks like by me
- Republican officials say GOP and NC auditor pressured them to reject voting site by Kyle Ingram
- Can Duke University’s small AI data center ever be small enough for critics? by Brian Gordon
- Chapel Thrills! UNC baseball stuns USC with late rally to earn trip to Omaha by Shelby Swanson
- How basketball legend Roy Williams became UNC baseball’s most unexpected coach by Shelby Swanson
- After months of planning, why NC State football won’t play Virginia in Brazil by Jadyn Watson-Fisher
- Justin Gainey, NC State add international big man to upcoming roster by Jadyn Watson-Fisher
What I’m reading
- Psychology and the Future: Two Decades of UNC Graduates and Where They Work by Megan Townsend at NC Department of Commerce
- Duke HR launches AI chatbot to answer employee questions by Dylan Halper at the Duke Chronicle
- Duke sued for trademark infringement of ‘Put Up Your Dukes’ phrase by Seyun Park at the Duke Chronicle
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— Jane Winik Sartwell
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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "What’s new in artificial intelligence at UNC-Chapel Hill?."
