Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.

Singer, unicycler and computer scientist: Brown’s new associate provost for AI

Michael Littman PhD ’96 hopes to champion the integration of AI across the University’s campus when he takes his position in July.

Photo of a Michael Littman smiling at the camera.

Littman’s role covers five main areas: research, teaching, operations, policy and communication. Courtesy of Michael Littman.

Michael Littman PhD ’96 occupies many roles in his day-to-day life. In addition to being an expert in the field of artificial intelligence, a renowned professor and author, he is also a singer, TurboTax ad star and occasional standup mime. 

In July, he will add another title to his laundry list of roles. Littman is set to be the University’s inaugural associate provost for AI

Littman has been a computer science professor at Brown since 2012, but his interest in artificial intelligence dates back to 1979 when he first got a computer. Playing a 20-questions-style game that asked questions depending on user responses helped cement his interest in the field.   

Now, he will serve as Brown’s administrative leader on artificial intelligence.

ADVERTISEMENT

The role will cover five main areas of AI — research, teaching, operations, policy and communication — but beyond that outline, Littman expressed some uncertainty about what the job entails.

“There really aren’t any other schools like Brown that have a role like this,” Littman said. “So I can’t even look over and see another person and say, ‘I’ll probably be doing what that person’s doing.’”

Littman emphasized that Brown’s vision for AI initiatives has a very broad scope and will examine ways to integrate AI that align with the University’s mission.

He pointed to collaboration across the University regarding AI use, outlining plans to ensure interdepartmental awareness of methods already being used to leverage AI. In this way, he said, departments can draw inspiration from each other. 

Littman added that AI should not be an imposition on anyone and hopes for campus-wide involvement when implementing new initiatives. 

“We don’t have to reinvent the AI wheel over and over and over again if we work together as a community,” Littman said. 

George Konidaris, an associate professor of computer science, wrote in an email to The Herald that he “cannot imagine a better choice” for the position, describing Littman as “warm and funny and not at all aware of his godlike status.”

Norm Meyrowitz ’81, an adjunct professor of the practice of computer science, also described Littman as “a perfect choice” due to his experience both as a faculty member and an expert in his field. 

“You need somebody who is not just tied to a particular department, but is looking at the University as a whole and is not just tied to faculty research,” Meyrowitz said. “Michael can fill all of those roles.”

Littman is also the division director for Information and Intelligence Systems at the National Science Foundation, which oversees many computing-related fields, including AI.

ADVERTISEMENT

Andy van Dam, a professor of computer science, explained that Littman has “a global look” on the development of AI due to his time at the NSF and “has all the right skills and the right personality to boot.”

Van Dam emphasized his belief that the increased integration of AI initiatives on campus is necessary because of its inevitable presence in every discipline but expressed concerns about potential drawbacks like overreliance. He added that having someone like Littman to deal with both the advantages and disadvantages of AI is vital.

“I rejoice in having (this) office created,” van Dam said. “I rejoice in Michael being the person who will take the job.”

Van Dam also noted Littman’s many talents, one of which is riding an electric unicycle: “He rides to work — I was astonished when I saw this — one of these motorized wheels with a balancing platform. He wears a helmet and some protective gear and he manages to balance and steer.”

Get The Herald delivered to your inbox daily.

In his free time, Littman loves to sing. He is part of a pops choir with his wife, in addition to performing multiple times at a talent show fundraiser for the NSF. One year, he performed “a standup routine, interspersed with little mime bits,” and this past holiday season he helped form “NSF’s premier Beatles cover band” to perform at the talent show, Littman told The Herald.

Littman’s YouTube channel features many of his musical ventures — including clips of the Littman Family Quartet and machine learning music videos. 

He also wrote a book called “Code to Joy: Why Everyone Should Learn a Little Programming,” with the intention of empowering people to code software that enables them to express themselves, rather than relying on industries to do so.

He plans to carry his wide-ranging background into his new position.

“I’m really excited and honored to get to do this new role,” Littman said. “I’m really open to hearing what people are thinking.”


Samah Hamid

Samah Hamid is a senior staff writer at the Herald. She is from Sharon, Massachusetts and plans to concentrate in Biology. In her free time, you can find her taking a nap, reading, or baking a sweet treat.



Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2025 The Brown Daily Herald, Inc.