UChicago joins partnership to make AI generative for higher education

The ability of computers to create content is advancing rapidly, spurring an investment arms race within the technology sector. As new products like ChatGPT and Midjourney turn AI into a part of daily life, universities are facing decisions about how students, instructors, and researchers can best engage with these new tools.

This fall, the University of Chicago is joining a group of universities convened by Ithaka S+R as part of a two-year research project committed to making AI generative for campus communities. Together the partners in Making AI Generative for Higher Education will assess the immediate and emerging AI applications most likely to impact teaching, learning, and research and explore the long-term needs of institutions, instructors, and scholars as they navigate this environment.

Additional partnering schools in the Making AI Generative for Higher Education project include Carnegie Mellon University, Concordia University, Duke University, East Carolina University, McMaster University, Princeton University, Queen’s University, Stony Brook University, Temple University, University of Arizona, University of Connecticut, University of Delaware, University of New Mexico, University of North Texas, Wesleyan University, and Yale University.

“Libraries and universities are built on the idea of providing unbiased access to information.  Already, we see access to information being mitigated by AI—often through black box systems that lack transparency and accountability,” said Torsten Reimer, University Librarian and Dean of the University Library at UChicago. “As researchers and educators, it is vital that we understand, reflect critically, and take action to make the best use of emerging AI technologies in higher education.”

Reimer, who is coordinating UChicago’s engagement in this project, “is pleased to be working with colleagues across the University, including Chief Information Officer Kevin Boyd, the next Dean of the College Melina Hale, Dean of Students in the University Michele Rasmussen, and the Vice Provost for Research Karen Kim, to consider how these tools can contribute to field-changing research and a transformative education.”

How will the project work?

During the first year, the project will comprehensively review the areas of university activity most affected by this emerging technology. The project will kick-off with an assessment exercise where the cohort will gauge the readiness of their campuses to productively leverage generative AI technologies for teaching and research purposes. In parallel, Ithaka S+R will comprehensively review relevant technological, policy, service, and product developments and publish updates from the project’s initial activities by the end of 2023.

In winter 2024, the project will focus on gathering perspectives from those working with generative AI technologies in a variety of disciplines. Ithaka S+R and the participating universities will conduct semi-structured interviews with instructors and researchers, which will create the largest qualitative dataset to date on the higher education use-case. In 2024, the project will also release a public report to share the findings.

The project’s second year focuses on developing institution-specific strategies for each cohort member. To update our collective understanding of cutting-edge developments, the project will also publish an updated landscape review. During this phase the cohort will participate together in design workshops to surface areas for on-campus intervention. Each university partner will also create or revise their university’s campus-wide strategy statement on generative AI and develop and implement a preliminary plan for working with campus support to ensure broader implementation.

At the conclusion of the project, Ithaka S+R will publish shared findings and observations from all three project phases, with input from the cohort.

An earlier version of this announcement was published by Ithaka S+R.