Notre Dame Offers Students Access to Google AI Resources
Notre Dame Students Gain Access to Advanced AI Tools for Finals Preparation
As finals approach, students at Notre Dame are now able to utilize advanced AI resources available through their Google accounts. The Office of Information Technology (OIT) announced on March 18 that students can access two powerful AI tools: Gemini and NotebookLM.
Understanding Google’s AI Tools
Gemini functions as Google’s large language model (LLM), similar to well-known platforms like ChatGPT. It provides students with generative AI capabilities that can assist in a variety of tasks, from drafting emails to generating ideas for projects. NotebookLM, in contrast, is more tailored to work directly with existing documents, offering summaries and acting as a research aide.
In an email to students, Jane Livingston, Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, highlighted how these tools stand out compared to other AI products available. She assured students that using these tools through their Notre Dame accounts ensures the same robust data protection as Google Drive. This means that personal data will not be sold, shared, or used to train future AI models.
Focus on Privacy and Data Protection
When considering the implementation of university-wide AI tools, OIT placed a significant emphasis on privacy. Google was willing to extend its data protection policies—originally applicable only to Google Drive— to cover the AI tools without requiring additional licensing fees.
Brandon Rich, Director of the AI Enablement Team, explained the importance of data privacy, particularly in the realm of AI. “AI is different because companies often seek this data to train models, and we want to avoid this with our private Notre Dame data,” Rich stated.
OIT formed a dedicated AI enablement team following the recommendations from Notre Dame’s generative AI task force, which focuses on advancing AI literacy and responsible innovation across the campus.
Integration with Existing Google Apps
Students and faculty members at Notre Dame have had access to various Google applications since the university transitioned to being a Google campus in 2013. The new AI tools are integrated seamlessly into these applications, allowing students to easily interact with them for efficient task management. For example, by typing the @ symbol in Gemini’s chat interface, they can directly access their calendars and documents.
Rich noted, “The ability to chat with tools like Gmail or ask, ‘What’s my next meeting? Where’s that document in my drive?’ is a fantastic feature.”
Evolution of AI Services
Initially, Rich did not find Gemini particularly compelling compared to other leading LLMs. However, he remarked on the significant improvements that Google has made over the past year. “Gemini’s updates have made it competitive with other top AI models,” he said.
The launch of Gemini 1.5, with its enhanced capabilities, placed it in contention with other generative AI tools available on the market. Rich expressed enthusiasm about students having access to this newly improved model.
Addressing Academic Integrity Concerns
The decision to provide access to these AI tools was made after careful consideration, particularly around the impact on academic integrity. While the implementation may have been a simple change on an administrative panel, extensive discussions involved multiple stakeholders across the university.
Ardea Russo, Director of the Office of Academic Standards, played a vital role in shaping the university’s AI policies. She emphasized that policies regarding AI usage vary among different professors. For instance, while guidelines for a writing instructor may differ from those for a computer science teacher, the central rule remains: students cannot submit AI-generated work as their own without explicit permission from faculty members.
Russo remarked that offering access to these tools creates an equal opportunity for all students, but she noted a concerning increase in honor code violations related to AI, estimating that around 35% of such violations are now connected to AI usage.
Future of AI Policies and Tools at Notre Dame
As the university rolls out Gemini to students, ongoing communication efforts by OIT aim to clarify AI policies and guide students on safe usage. Russo indicated that there is still much to address regarding transparency and clarity in academic expectations around AI.
Rich acknowledged that while Gemini is now available to all students, there might still be a hesitation among some to adopt these new tools. He aspires to ensure that university policies evolve in step with AI advancements.
The rollout effort includes plans to provide faculty and staff with access to more AI resources, including an enterprise version of ChatGPT, while maintaining data protection standards comparable to those offered by Google’s tools.
