University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce on AI, startups, and tradition vs. innovation

Artificial intelligence and startups were two of the topics addressed by Ana Mari Cauce, the University of Washington president, during a keynote conversation Thursday at the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce annual meeting.

Cauce, who has announced plans to step down from the role in June 2025, was asked by moderator Ada Healy of Vulcan LLC about the need to maintain longstanding traditions while also encouraging innovation at the helm of the 162-year-old academic institution.

“What we need to do is balance the timeless with the timely,” Cauce said, citing the importance of service to the community, while acknowledging that the shape of that service will inevitably change.

Cauce pointed to student entrepreneurs as one example.

“We have students now that come in already, from day one, they want to start their own companies,” she said. “That was something that students couldn’t do before, because we couldn’t have a workforce, etc.”

AI in education is another example, she said.

“We need to make sure that our students know how to learn writing, but guess what, they are going to use AI as part of their writing. The toothpaste is out of the tube,” Cauce said. “We need to make sure that they can learn to use these technologies, not block them away from it.”

She also cited the rise of technology in the medical field, including ways that medical students are able to use simulations for training, and the growing importance of robotic technology for surgery.

“But the idea of caring about the patient, listening to the patient, that is timeless,” she said. “So it is really about bringing those things together.”

As for her own plans after she steps down next year, Cauce said she plans to remain in the Seattle region, where she has lived for nearly 40 years.

“This is my home,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

GeekWire’s John Cook contributed to this story.