SAVANNAH, Ga. — Savannah State University (SSU) is taking a significant step to equip its students for the future by introducing artificial intelligence (AI) training to all incoming freshmen. This initiative aims to align students with the evolving demands of the modern job market.

The program, known as the IBM SkillsBuild AI Freshmen HBCU Initiative, is designed to enhance students’ employability by providing them with essential AI knowledge and digital certifications.

Andrea L. Moore, a professor at SSU, emphasized the importance of this initiative, noting that it addresses the needs of today’s workforce. “In our current tech-driven economy, it’s crucial that our students are competitive,” she explained.

University representatives highlighted findings from the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Jobs Report, which indicates a rising demand for technology skills, including AI, across various sectors.

University officials pointed to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Jobs Report, which shows technology skills, including AI, are in growing demand across industries.

“Employers are expecting it now and they are, many are,” said Frank J. Mendelson, a lecturer at SSU. “40% of them see a need to reskill their current employees and 90% of them see AI as being an integral part of their businesses moving forward.”

All freshmen are now required to complete a three-hour AI course embedded in SSU’s First-Year Experience class as part of the IBM program.

“The IBM AI Freshman Initiative is a foundational program providing artificial intelligence training, starting with training all of our freshmen using a module on an introduction to artificial intelligence,” Mendelson said. “With that, they get a digital certification, and that will go with them and enable them to use that on LinkedIn and present to future employers.”

Moore and Mendelson said the curriculum also emphasizes ethics as AI adoption accelerates.

“This first course helps us to distinguish what is AI. How does it work? What do I do with it?” Moore said. “And then it’s an ethics course that’s also built into the modules that our students will take.”

Mendelson said faculty are also eligible to complete IBM SkillsBuild training to integrate AI into coursework across campus. The goal, he said, is to focus on hands-on learning, not punishment.

“So instead of worrying about policing our students, which nobody really has an interest in doing, it’s getting students putting their hands on AI, and using AI assignments to develop their critical thinking skills,” he said.

University officials said the initiative is only the beginning, and they expect AI tools and training to expand into additional majors over time.

“It allows Savannah State to be an anchor institution,” Moore said, “When any business or industry in the region is looking for qualified individuals to work or to engage in research, Savannah State will be able to serve them.”

Savannah State is one of 30 schools nationwide participating in the AI Freshmen HBCU initiative.