The University of Wyoming’s new president urged the school to push toward supremacy in artificial intelligence (AI) use, and to prioritize the school’s athletics program, during his Tuesday state of the university address in Laramie.
Brig. Gen. Shane Reeves took the helm of the state’s only four-year university in July, after serving as academic dean at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.
Ascending the stage to a standing ovation Tuesday after a brief speech by Gov. Mark Gordon, Reeves told UW leaders and staff that AI will not be undone, so it needs to be woven into the school’s teachings.
“The model where the professor gets to come up and stand, and just relay, transmit information, and the student receives information (then is assessed),” said Reeves, “that is all being upended by AI.”
With AI proliferating on people’s phones, “knowledge is cheap. It’s just cheap,” Reeves added.
He said UW needs to adapt to that change by recognizing that, “knowledge is no longer the advantage; judgment is the advantage.”
Reeves said UW faculty should emphasize “those things that are truly human” like discernment and judgment amid the flood of knowledge.
Reeves theorized that, “if we do this correctly, we can make the University of Wyoming the leading – one of the leading – state institutions in this country when it comes to AI.”
That will take teamwork and bold action, he said.
“But this genie’s not going back in the bottle,” Reeves said. “This isn’t a choice. If you think it’s a choice, then you’re just not being truthful with yourself.”
He said questions remain about AI and how it will impact humans, but he has “a huge group of really smart people collected together to work through it. And it’s going to be something we have to do.”
Reeves later said the university should help students build upon independence of thought, grit and character. He said UW should not let critical thinking atrophy, but should couple the ability to use AI with real personability.
Hours Later
Hours after Reeves’ speech, AI researcher Jacob Coxon made headlines across the nation by announcing via social media that he left AI developer Anthropic.
“Do not underestimate the power of this technology. These will soon be superhuman systems that can hack anything, revolutionize any field overnight, and acquire real power and resources,” says a Tuesday-evening post by Coxon. “The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade. This is not a marketing stunt.”
The statement set off a firestorm of news coverage and commentary.
Governments are scrambling to address AI’s advantages and risks.
President Donald Trump has advocated strongly for AI data centers, in the name of national security and winning the global tech edge. He garnered backlash last week by insisting communities opposed to those data centers would end up “backwards and poor.”
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, announced last week he’s introducing a bill to ban firms from developing superintelligence.
Both OpenAI and Anthropic have flagged incidents in which their models’ agents went rogue, fleeing their isolated test environments and inflicting unauthorized cyberattacks.
Next, Athletics
Reeves spoke to the challenge of college-level athletics, where a court decision has unleashed a sponsor-driven economy.
“It is insane. It is an insane world, with NIL and revenue sharing,” said Reeves. “TV contracts are all over the place … you’re talking billions of dollars.”
It’s tempting for a university to say, “that’s it, we’re out,” he added.
Reeves said that’s not an option. He gave examples of where lesser-known schools have become nationally renowned through big athletic breaks. He said students prioritize athletics and, especially after COVID, they want to engage with each other and have real-life experiences.
Reeves also said athletics are a major conduit for pride in the university.
UW in December asked for extra money from the Legislature to address the athletics economy.
Economic Development And Research
Reeves cast UW as beautifully positioned to gain from an intersection between an insatiable demand for energy, the AI revolution and national security development.
UW was designated a research level one (R1) facility in early 2025.
Reeves called that the starting line to “build Wyoming’s intellectual engine: energy, AI infrastructure, critical minerals, national security.”
He spoke to the demand for rare earths and uranium globally, and noted that Wyoming has both.
“Wherever you fall, whatever you think, the world is quickly fragmenting from a geopolitical perspective,” said Reeves. “And there’s a decoupling taking place, and there’s incredible work being done here, in areas that are going to be essential to this nation.”
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
