A $50 million gift to the University of Chicago from Trustee Rika 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 cohort of faculty who are pioneers in the use of AI in research in disciplines across the University.
It will launch the Mansueto Faculty of Mind and Machine Challenge, which seeks to generate nearly $200 million to recruit, retain, and support 20 leading scholars from a wide range of fields who are exemplary in the use of the computational lens of thought in their disciplines. The match challenge will catalyze additional philanthropy from donors who are inspired by the University’s distinctive approach to AI. In addition to the 20 faculty positions, the complete program will also foster investments 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 era. It builds upon UChicago’s AI Initiative, which supports 10 faculty-led AI-driven research projects in fields ranging from oncology to visual arts. It also supports a dozen projects that promote a wide range of pedagogical innovation, seeking to expand and leverage machine learning and AI in the classroom—or to deliberately limit the use of AI.
“This extraordinary commitment reflects Rika and Joe Mansueto’s deep belief in the University of Chicago’s distinctive approach to inquiry—one that prizes groundbreaking scholarship, intellectual freedom and dialogue across disciplines,” said President Paul Alivisatos. “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 a single department, school or division, the 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 new lines of questioning and fields of study around AI.
The 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—advancing a holistic approach in which questions about human intelligence, creativity and responsibility are considered alongside technical knowledge and innovation. 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 particular way of thinking—rigorous, curious and unafraid to ask fundamental questions,” said Rika Mansueto. “As artificial intelligence reshapes nearly every field, it’s essential that this work be grounded not just in technical excellence, but in a deep understanding of human judgment, responsibility and purpose.”
Rika received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the College 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 his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the College in 1978 and his 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 he launched in 1984.
The Mansuetos have long supported initiatives across the University, including a gift establishing the Joe and Rika 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 extend their philanthropic mark on the University.
“With AI advancing at an unprecedented pace, the most important breakthroughs won’t come from technology alone,” said Joe Mansueto. “They will come from institutions that insist on asking bigger questions—about how intelligence works, how humans and machines interact, and how innovation can serve society responsibly. The University of Chicago has always embraced that kind of expansive, interdisciplinary inquiry, and this initiative is meant to help ensure that those values shape the future of AI.”
