How Three Universities Developed Their Chatbots

In January 2024, UC Irvine launched ZotGPT, a free AI tool for students, faculty and staff built using resources from Azure AI, Amazon Web Services and open web technologies. The platform offers access to multiple large language models, as well as API access for researchers, and it has attracted 15,000 unique users. The university is testing a handful of additional AI tools, including ZotGPT Creator, which will allow users to create their own customized AI chatbots. Another tool, ZotGPT ClassChat, launched in January and allows instructors to incorporate course materials with LLMs for students at much higher detail than a standard chatbot.

The technology continues to move quickly, but Price says that’s not a reason to sit back and wait for solutions to shake out. “In fact, it’s quite the opposite,” he says. “That requires us to work even harder and faster, so we can prepare our community for the next big disruption.”

Arizona State University Bots Support Teaching and Learning

“Guidelines foster innovation,” says Elizabeth Reilley, executive director of AI acceleration for ASU Enterprise Technology, the technology and IT division of Arizona State University. “When people don’t have guidance on what’s safe, they’re often afraid to do anything.”

LEARN MORE: Are your chatbots giving away more information than they should?

This philosophy has led ASU to proactively roll out an expansive — and constantly growing — set of AI solutions. The university’s CreateAI Platform, launched in October 2023, gives students, faculty and staff secure access to more than 50 generative AI models. The platform offers a tool called MyAI Builder that lets users create their own AI projects by adding specific system prompts and instructions to LLMs.

ASU’s AI environment is largely built on AWS infrastructure, with integrations between the environment and major generative AI models.

The university also supports several purpose-built chatbots, built on ChatGPT Edu, which was offered through the university’s AI Innovation Challenge. One of these, named Sam, lets students in behavioral health practice their patient interviewing skills. Another lets students debate with famous philosophers from history.

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“We take a comprehensive approach to supporting AI across teaching and learning, across research and across how people work every day,” says ASU Deputy CIO Kyle Bowen. “We’ve been able to put enterprise-class AI tools into the hands of the faculty, students and staff who are shaping what the future of AI is going to look like.”

ASU has invested heavily in promoting AI literacy, with 3,000 faculty members participating in professional development sessions. Also, any faculty or staff member can sign up for the university’s CreateAI Lab, which includes online community groups and weekly Q&A sessions.

“It’s a learning environment, not just from our team to others, but also a peer learning environment,” Reilley says. “So, if folks are struggling, they can share their struggles. If somebody found something that was really interesting that took their work to the next level, they can share that as well.”

“The future of AI is still unfolding,” Bowen says. “To be at the forefront, people need hands-on access. New AI pedagogies and research methods are being invented right now in classrooms and labs around the world, and we need to create the space to innovate and engage in a hands-on way.”