$60M Gift to Fund AI Center

The IU School of Informatics

An Indiana University alumnus who founded the information technology firm ServiceNow has given his alma mater $60 million to establish an artificial intelligence center.

The university says the gift from cloud-computing pioneer Fred Luddy is the second largest in school history.

Fifteen years ago, he founded ServiceNow and served as chief executive officer until 2011. His technology delivers cloud-based, automated IT help desk services.

"It is the imagination and determination of people that drive technology that makes an impact in real lives,” says Luddy.

The university says the donation will be used to construct a new building to house a center focused on AI. The center will be called the Luddy Center for Artificial Intelligence which will a part of the just-renamed Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering in Bloomington.

The gift will also fund the creation of six endowed chairs, six endowed professorships and six endowed faculty fellowships, as well as countless scholarships.

IU says the goal is to accelerate the progress of the school as one of the best of its kind in the world.

"Fred is an outstanding technology visionary and innovator who understands deeply the enormous impact that AI, machine learning and related areas are having and will have on society,” said IU President Michael McRobbie. “We are extremely grateful for his willingness to support a major initiative in this area at IU.”

The facility will feature state-of-the-art teaching and learning spaces dedicated to supporting IU faculty and students doing pioneering work in AI and machine learning.

“My path has been shaped by the people who inspire me, who guide me to pursue the next innovation with the potential to transform everything,” says Luddy.

IU says ServiceNow was recognized by Forbes as one of the world’s most innovative companies. The company employs 3,500 people and has a market value of more than $15 billion.