University Appoints AI Chair Following £3 Million Donation

The University of St Andrews has appointed Professor Lars Kotthoff as the Johann and Gaynor Rupert Chair in Artificial Intelligence. This appointment marks his return to the institution after thirteen years to lead research and innovation in the rapidly evolving field of AI.

Professor Kotthoff will be returning to St Andrews from the University of Wyoming, where he held the positions of Templeton Chair in Computer Science, Presidential Faculty Fellow, Founding Adjunct Professor in the School of Computing, and Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. 

His appointment comes amid rapid growth in the use of artificial intelligence, which is reshaping research, industries, and daily life. According to a recent Stanford University report, business adoption of AI rose from 55% in 2023 to 78% in 2024, reflecting the technology’s accelerating influence across various sectors.

Concerns about the ethical and environmental impact of AI — particularly the sustainability of large-scale computational systems central to Professor Kotthoff’s work — are increasing as the use of AI continues to grow exponentially with no signs of slowing down. 

One UK government report projects AI's water usage could rise to 6.6 billion m³ by 2027, a significant issue when a third of the world already lacks access to clean water. These challenges have prompted researchers and policymakers to explore ways to develop AI technologies that are efficient and sustainable. 

When asked how he plans to address sustainability within his role, Professor Kotthoff stated, “A lot of AI research (including my own) is actually on how to run things more efficiently and sustainably. Large Language Models are an outlier at the moment, and we're still trying to figure out how to make them work more effectively, rather than focusing on efficiency, but there are signs that current models can be made much more efficient.” 

He added, “I would expect the coming years to bring substantial improvements there, similar to how early cars were horribly inefficient compared to modern ones.”

Looking to the future, Professor Kotthoff hopes his work will make AI more accessible and transparent for users across disciplines, by “not just asking ChatGPT a question and copying an answer, but working with AI in a way that helps people understand what’s going on and make informed decisions based on what an AI system provides.” 

As AI becomes more integrated into daily life, Professor Kotthoff highlighted the need to address its ethical and societal implications: “I wish I had the answer, but unfortunately, I don’t. I do hope that I can be part of figuring out the answer, which will be somewhere between the extremes of banning it completely and allowing it everywhere unchecked.”

His appointment forms part of a wider initiative to expand the University’s leadership in emerging research areas. According to a recent University report, the position was funded by a £3 million donation from participants of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, made in honour of Johann and Gaynor Rupert, long-standing supporters of the University and champions of innovation and excellence in education. 

The Chair is part of one of four key focus areas of the University's Making Waves Campaign, “Endowed Chairs,” which aims to raise £300m to transform and strengthen St Andrews' capabilities in teaching, learning, research, and student support. A recent report by the University states that donations made in the 2024-25 year bring the total amount raised to £142 million. 

Professor Kotthoff’s appointment comes as the University seeks to attract leading researchers and promote collaboration across disciplines, supporting the continued growth of the St Andrews academic community.

Image provided by Lars Kotthoff