USC Launches AI School After $200 Million Stevens Gift

TL;DR: A $200 million donation from Mark and Mary Stevens has renamed USC’s School of Advanced Computing and will fund AI research, education and interdisciplinary projects.

USC announced the largest private gift in its history, a $200 million endowment from venture‑capitalist Mark Stevens and his wife Mary. The donation will support artificial‑intelligence research across the university and rename the School of Advanced Computing as the USC Mark and Mary Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence.

The Stevens couple, known for early investments in Google, Yahoo, YouTube and NVIDIA, said the gift aims to cement USC as a national leader in AI‑driven research and creativity. The school, launched in 2024, already houses interdisciplinary programs that blend AI with health, business, security and the arts. New initiatives include a Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence, an AI‑for‑Business degree, and centers focused on ethics, trust and societal impact.

USC President Beong‑Soo Kim emphasized that AI’s growing power creates “enormous opportunities to improve lives and solve some of our greatest challenges, if used the right way.” He added that the Stevens generosity will let USC leverage its existing strengths at a “critical inflection point for our society.”

Dean Yannis C. Yortsos of the Viterbi School of Engineering highlighted the gift’s timing, calling it a catalyst for breakthroughs and thought leadership. Inaugural director Gaurav Sukhatme noted that the funding arrives as the school expands its facilities in the Ginsburg Human‑Centered Computation Hall and as AI reshapes fields from game design to cinematic arts.

The endowment will also bolster existing interdisciplinary centers: the Institute on Ethics and Trust in Computing, which brings together philosophers, computer scientists and policymakers; and the Center for AI in Society, one of the first “AI for Good” hubs. These groups aim to balance rapid innovation with responsible use.

USC already produces the nation’s most computer‑science graduates and ranks second among Silicon Valley alma maters. The Stevens gift is expected to deepen that pipeline, attracting top talent and accelerating research that spans from foundational AI theory to real‑world applications.

What it means: The $200 million infusion positions USC to expand AI curricula, fund cutting‑edge research and strengthen its role as a talent incubator. Watch for new AI‑focused degree programs, increased industry partnerships, and the rollout of ethics‑centered initiatives over the next academic year.