Prashant Doshi, a distinguished scholar and prominent researcher with more than two decades of experience in the field of artificial intelligence, has been appointed the inaugural executive director of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IAI) at the University of Georgia following a national search.
A professor in UGA’s School of Computing, Doshi has served as IAI’s interim associate director for research since August 2024. In his new role, Doshi will work to advance the university’s interdisciplinary AI academic programs, research and service.
“Dr. Doshi has proven to be a visionary scholar, researcher and entrepreneur in the rapidly developing field of AI during his tenure at UGA, and I am confident he will be an exceptional leader for the Institute for Artificial Intelligence,” said S. Jack Hu, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.
The Institute for Artificial Intelligence is an interdepartmental research and instructional unit jointly supported by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. IAI offers three interdisciplinary degree programs and participates in two combined undergraduate/graduate programs. More than 80 UGA faculty members from 12 schools and colleges are affiliated with the institute.
“As the science and use of AI advances rapidly around us, I am very excited at this opportunity to lead UGA’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence, one of our nation’s oldest degree-granting AI-centered institutions,” said Doshi. “UGA is making significant investments to advance AI education and research, and the institute is well poised to translate these investments into meaningful gains for our students and multidisciplinary faculty.”
Doshi’s appointment as executive director coincides with UGA’s ambitious efforts to position IAI as a national leader in multidisciplinary research, instruction and broader service in AI. The university’s most recent Presidential Interdisciplinary Hiring Initiative in Data Science and AI has led to the recruitment of nearly 70 faculty across campus. The institute will play a key role in bringing together new and current faculty members working in relevant disciplines to advance the study and application of artificial intelligence.
“We are excited about the appointment of Dr. Doshi as executive director of IAI and the multidisciplinary collaboration leveraging the strengths of Franklin’s many diverse areas alongside those of the entire university,” said Anna Stenport, dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “New AI applied implementation, including their ethical considerations, have transformational potential for our society and it’s important to have an experienced researcher, educator and leader, like Dr. Doshi, to shape that conversation and lead us into the future.”
Doshi’s research centers on core artificial intelligence and human-robot collaboration. He investigates computational methods for agent-based decision-making in environments shared by multiple agents. Additionally, he explores algorithms for endowing collaborative robots, or “cobots,” with customizable autonomy using machine learning. His work has broad implications across industries, including cybersecurity, defense and manufacturing.
Recently, he developed AI-driven cobots designed to streamline agricultural produce processing operations. To bring this technology to market, Doshi co-founded InversAI, a company focused on commercializing AI-powered automation. Under his leadership, the company secured grants to fund the first application of AI-driven cobots in onion sorting and enabling onsite trials of the technology in Georgia’s onion processing operations.
His sustained excellence in research has earned Doshi several honors, including UGA’s 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year award. In 2024, he was elected a senior member of the Association for the Advancement of AI in recognition of his significant contributions in the field of multi-agent systems. These systems involve multiple agents working together to achieve a common goal, leveraging coordination and communication. His work has been published extensively in journals, conferences and other forums in the fields of agents, AI, robotics, the Semantic Web and web services.
Doshi earned his doctorate in computer science at the University of Illinois Chicago. He holds a master’s in computer science from Drexel University and a bachelor’s in computer science from Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute.
A 10-member search advisory committee chaired by Roberto Perdisci, Patty and D.R. Grimes Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and director of the Institute of Cybersecurity and Privacy in the School of Computing, helped identify finalists for the position. The committee was assisted by the UGA Search Group.
