Artificial intelligence is changing fast. The tools available to students and researchers today can, and almost certainly will, look dramatically different in just a few short months, creating new opportunities and new challenges.
As the influence of artificial intelligence continues to grow, the University of Georgia has taken great care to ensure that students, faculty and staff are able to leverage these powerful tools responsibly.
“Artificial intelligence represents one of the most significant technological advances in recent history, and it is incumbent upon us to ensure that our campus community has the tools they need to understand it,” said Marisa Pagnattaro, vice president for instruction and senior vice provost for academic planning. “We have put in place programs that are designed to evolve with technology so that we are ahead of the curve.”
To help the campus community navigate the AI landscape, the university developed AI @ UGA, a central hub for students, faculty and staff to explore online courses, resources, policies and the latest news and updates about AI.
For example, users may enroll in a free course titled “AI Literacy for All,” which provides the entire university community with a foundational understanding of artificial intelligence and the implications of its application in a variety of professional settings.
While AI has the potential to revolutionize the way work is done across a variety of disciplines and practices, the thoughtful incorporation of AI in instruction is one of the most exciting and challenging prospects.
To assist faculty, UGA’s Center for Teaching and Learning offers a comprehensive guide for instructors that provides up-to-date information about how artificial intelligence may affect teaching and learning, including how it can be incorporated into courses and how to best set expectations with students.
Rather than prescribe changes to teaching, this guide introduces ways for faculty to explore generative AI tools available at UGA and determine if or when they might be useful as a teaching tool.
The guide also offers important information about generative AI policies for teaching and learning, the importance of academic honesty and tips for guiding students use of AI in support of learning.
The university also established seed grants for faculty to advance interdisciplinary research using AI and to spark breakthroughs in how data science and artificial intelligence are applied to complex societal challenges.
In addition, researchers across several centers, institutes and laboratories are exploring the use of AI for advanced research projects spanning computational biomechanics, machine learning, robotics and cybersecurity.
“Artificial intelligence could transform the way we teach, learn or conduct research, but we have to be thoughtful about how we respond to it,” said Meg Mittelstadt, assistant vice president for instruction and director of the Center for Teaching and Learning. “Our goal is to provide the resources our students and faculty need to make informed decisions about when and how to use these tools.”
For students, one of the most important hurdles to overcome is access to AI tools, which often require monthly subscriptions for use. To reduce this barrier and to provide students with the opportunity to explore the capabilities of AI tools, the university developed a student pilot program in spring 2026, following ongoing discussions with the Student Government Association.
This fall, the university expanded the pilot program by inviting additional students to explore a variety of platforms, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT Edu, Google’s Gemini Pro for Education and Microsoft 365 Copilot.
This expanded pilot program will provide more students with opportunities to explore leading AI tools and help inform the university’s continued evaluation of how these technologies can best support teaching, learning and student success.
The Institute for Artificial Intelligence at UGA also offers a new certificate in AI, which was unveiled this fall. The Certificate in Artificial Intelligence—Language, Minds, and Machines explores the human-centered underpinnings of AI, providing a foundation in the principles and techniques of AI while also allowing students to explore how AI can be responsibly incorporated into their own academic and professional work.
Other discipline-specific certificates have been developed for students working in computing, business and pharmaceutical sciences. Additional certificate programs are currently under development.