Following an investment of $7,750,577 and two years of construction, a new artificial intelligence innovation hub has arrived at Kendall Campus.
Located on the first floor of building 6, the facility opened its doors on March 17.
The hub is Miami Dade College’s third AI center, following North Campus’ opening in 2022 and Wolfson Campus’ addition in 2023.
Spanning approximately 8,000 sq. ft., the center is designed to support the integration of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence into learning environments through specialized instructional spaces and hands-on courses.
Students from all academic disciplines are welcome.
“One of the challenges with higher education is we’ve got to stay up to speed with the industry,” said Kendall Campus President Bryan Stewart. “What’s so great about labs like this, is we can customize the training based on what the need is.”
The AI Innovation Hub is housed in the School of Engineering, Technology and Design (EnTec), which supports programs such as architecture, applied AI, data analytics, cybersecurity and networking.
At the center of the facility is the AI Commons, an area featuring an interactive AI installation with real-time audio and three-dimensional visuals that welcomes visitors.
The Smart Solutions Center serves as the hub’s main classroom, with a flexible layout that allows faculty to use the room for technical instruction and large discussions.
Other classrooms include the Cognitive Applications Lab, where students can use cutting-edge technology to study data modeling and neural networks and the AI Applications Studio, which focuses on advanced computing and cloud systems.
The Robotech Lab is where engineering and robotics students can bring their projects to life.
Derek Hernandez, a second-year electrical and computer engineering student at Kendall Campus, uses the lab to assemble drones and autonomous aircraft for competitions.
“AI will be beneficial to collect all the data we need for our projects,” said Hernandez, who’s an assistant at EnTec. “I see the [AI Innovation Hub] as a great way to take a step forward into actually learning and understanding how it works, instead of just fearing that it will take away our jobs.”
In the Metaverse Arch Studio, architecture students have access to immersive, mixed-reality systems to create architectural models.
Additional facilities include a cybersecurity classroom, a network solutions lab and the Nook Huddle, a space designed for students across disciplines to gather and collaborate.
Programs being offered by the college include college credit certificates in AI awareness and AI practitioner, as well as an associates and bachelor’s degree in applied AI.
Partners who are collaborating to enhance the programs include Google, Intel, Microsoft, NFS, Open AI, IBM and AI Mark Cuban Foundation.
“Over time, the goal is to continue strengthening a learning environment where students can develop practical, workforce-ready skills through applied and collaborative experiences,”said Cristina Mateo, the senior director of campus administration at Kendall Campus.
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