U-M AI

The University of Michigan has launched a suite of custom tools for working with generative artificial intelligence that emphasizes equity, accessibility, and privacy.

The university is initially launching three AI services available across the Ann Arbor, Flint, Dearborn, and Michigan Medicine campuses:

• U-M GPT
• U-M Maizey 
• U-M GPT Toolkit

While many higher ed institutions are offering AI education programs, U-M is believed to be the first major university to offer a custom AI platform for its entire community.

U-M will initially provide no-cost access levels with generous usage limits for most services.

The ITS AI Services also have been designed and tested for accessibility. For example, U-M’s GPT service works seamlessly with screen readers, which do not work when using ChatGPT. All data shared with U-M’s AI services is private and will not be used to train AI models.

The AI platform has been approved for use with data classified as “moderate sensitive.” Currently, use with data above a moderate-sensitivity classification is not allowed. For example, this prohibits the use of protected health information within the GenAI tools.

Available services:

• U-M GPT lets users easily engage with popular GenAI models like ChatGPT and other large-language models. U-M GPT will initially be provided at no cost to the U-M community to celebrate the platform’s launch.
• U-M Maizey will allow U-M users to access AI language models to query and question their datasets. This tool can seamlessly connect to popular platforms like Google and Canvas, with access to Dropbox coming soon, allowing it to extract valuable insights from user data. Maizey will be available to students, faculty, or staff with a valid shortcode from their school or unit, and will be available at no cost until Sept. 30 with usage limits based on capacity.
• U-M GPT Toolkit will provide a platform to construct, train, and host AI models securely and at scale. Optimized for advanced AI designers, Toolkit offers a creative platform where users can tailor solutions to meet various needs. This high-level tier will come with a fee structure that allows flexibility and financial control to its users.

Last Updated on September 5, 2023