Michael and Susan Dell give $1B+ to UT Austin for AI-native hospital
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Billionaire Michael Dell and his wife, Susan Dell, became the first donors to give more than $1 billion to the University of Texas at Austin, funding a massive new medical research campus and AI-powered hospital system.
The couple’s latest investment includes a $750 million gift to help build UT Dell Medical Center, an “AI-driven” hospital expected to open in 2030 as part of a more than 300-acre advanced research campus.
University officials said the project will integrate research, clinical care and advanced computing to improve early disease detection, personalize treatment and expand access to care in the fast-growing Austin region.
Dells’ support builds on decades of contributions to UT, including funding for the medical school, scholarships and research programs.
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Michael Dell and Susan Dell attended the Breakthrough Award ceremony as the couple became the first to donate more than $1 billion to the University of Texas at Austin. (Photo: Craig T Fruchtman/WireImage)
“By bringing medicine, science, and informatics together on a single campus designed for the age of artificial intelligence, UT can create more opportunity, deliver better outcomes, and build a stronger future for communities in Texas and beyond,” said Michael Dell and Susan Dell.
This gift is among the largest donations in the history of higher education, alongside significant contributions such as Phil Knight’s $2 billion donation to Oregon Health and Science University and Michael Bloomberg’s $1.8 billion donation to Johns Hopkins University.
The new UT Dell Medical Center will be developed in collaboration with MD Anderson Cancer Center and integrated into a system designed to connect cancer care prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
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Aerial view shows the University of Texas at Austin campus at sunset. (iStock)
“We will deliver better outcomes for patients by providing research-based cancer care that is precise, compassionate and hopeful,” said Peter WT Pisters, president of UT MD Anderson.
Officials said the facility would be built from the ground up to include artificial intelligence rather than renovating old infrastructure; They said this approach could change the way hospitals operate.
Independent experts have warned that AI in healthcare could pose risks if not carefully validated. widely quoted study published in the journal Science The study, by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Chicago, found that a widely used healthcare algorithm underestimated the needs of Black patients due to biased training data, highlighting broader concerns about equity in AI-driven systems.
The project also includes undergraduate scholarships, student housing and funding for the Texas Advanced Computing Center, where officials are developing one of the nation’s most powerful academic supercomputers.
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At the planned UT Dell Medical Center, artificial intelligence technology is expected to play a key role in diagnosis and patient care. (iStock)
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the investment will help position the state as a national leader in healthcare innovation.
“Texas already dominates technology, energy and business, and now we will further strengthen our leadership in healthcare innovation,” said Abbott.
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The university said it plans to break ground on the medical center later this year and is launching a broader campaign to raise $10 billion over the next decade.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
