WashU is committed to providing students, faculty and staff with the knowledge and tools to engage with artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly in academics, research and operations. The university has built momentum in several key areas, maintaining its focus on the WashU mission, the needs of the academic community and the preparation of future-ready leaders.
Led by Provost Mark West, the university's AI initiative work continues. Faculty-centered elements already are driving academic innovation across disciplines, deepening teaching and learning, and creating regional impact.
AI Perspectives Week
Join the WashU community to explore perspectives on the role of AI in the university's academic mission and its influence on accelerating teaching, learning and discovery.
The week is co-sponsored by the Center for Teaching and Learning, the DI2 Accelerator and the Office of the Provost.
Over 35 events will take place, including an Assembly Series with Microsoft's Eric Horvitz, a showcase of AI Curriculum Corps work and a keynote address by Jose Bowen, "Preserving Critical Thinking."
"AI is changing how we teach, conduct research and engage with our communities, and we have a responsibility to approach that change thoughtfully," West said. "We're committed to helping students and faculty make the most of these tools while keeping the curiosity, creativity and critical thinking that are at the heart of a WashU education. At the same time, we need to prepare our students to lead confidently in a world where AI plays an increasingly important role."
More than 150 faculty participated in insight groups and pilot programming to help shape the efforts of the initiative. Betsy Sinclair, vice provost for innovation, and Nathan Jacobs, vice provost for AI, led the effort, with Digital Intelligence & Innovation (DI2), the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and WashU Information Technology serving as partners.
Main achievements since the initiative's January launch include:
- A suite of vetted AI tools is now available to students, faculty and staff. The tech stack includes Claude Edu, Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Copilot Chat and AskWashU. This fall, Anthropic's Claude will be available to all Danforth Campus students. Use of Claude requires completion of the university's AI literacy module to ensure responsible, ethical use. So far, more than 2,000 WashU students have completed the module, now a requirement for all incoming students.
- The AI Curriculum Corps pilot provided faculty with support to integrate AI into the learning process. Led by the CTL, with technical support from WashU IT and the DI2 Accelerator, 82 faculty developed more than 50 new assignments and nearly two dozen new courses, which will roll out in upcoming semesters. In a collaboration with the Institute for School Partnership, the corps also adapted lessons for local K-12 teachers.
- The 10-week Digital Transformation Research Corps paired faculty with student developers, designers and project managers to rapidly apply digital technologies to research projects.
- An AI Governance Committee is currently developing a comprehensive AI policy framework. Co-chaired by Betsy Sinclair and Philip R.O. Payne, WashU Medicine and BJC Health chief health AI officer, the committee aims to provide a clear decision-making framework that spans research, teaching and learning, clinical care and institutional operations.
As WashU continues to integrate AI into universitywide coursework, operations and research, leaders say the campus community can expect to see more course offerings, programs, seminars and events related to the technology into the next academic year.
"Through responsible use of vetted AI tools, we aim to accelerate discovery, prepare our graduates as future-ready leaders and adapt as the technology evolves," Sinclair said. "We are also committed to providing a strong faculty-led governance model to enable the rapid decision-making associated with AI to ensure its use remains grounded in our mission. Now is the time to push for innovation and organizational resilience to support our students and faculty to use AI in purpose-driven ways to benefit them and the university as a whole."
To learn more about WashU's AI strategy, and how to get involved, visit the initiative's website.
