Northeastern University is pioneering the use of a new artificial intelligence tool created for higher education institutions, according to a Wednesday announcement.
The tool, called Claude for Education, was created by AI safety and research company Anthropic. It isn’t designed to provide students with answers. Rather, it is created to question and guide students through a reasoning process that helps to develop their critical thinking skills.
The AI tool also helps administrative staff and faculty to create rubrics for specific learning outcomes, provide individualized feedback efficiently or convert dense policy documents into accessible FAQ formats.
“AI is a tool that will empower our students, faculty and staff, and together with Anthropic we will develop and provide the tools, resources and training that they need to effectively integrate AI into their work. We are also committed to the responsible use of AI and proud to work alongside a partner that shares this fundamental commitment,” Javed Aslam, Northeastern’s chief of artificial intelligence, told Northeastern Global News.
It will be offered across its 13 global campuses among 50,000 students, faculty and staff.
“Our goal in doing all this is to partner with universities as they think through the transformation and teaching and learning that will come with AI. Our goal is to partner with universities, not, not to go around them,” Steven Syverud, Anthropic’s head of strategic project management, told MassLive.
Northeastern has been a major player in forcing them to think bigger about what an AI tool could do in higher education, Syverud said.
The institution has been ambitious when it comes to AI — creating an academic plan focused on AI. Northeastern’s President Joseph E. Aoun has been a thought leader on the subject, authoring a book on AI and higher education.
“We’ve loved working with Northeastern. They were a big reason that we have decided to make a push in education at all,” Syverud said.
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Through “learning mode,” Claude for Education can let students work within projects to save conversations and organize their work around specific topics.
Beyond the tool, there will also be two new student programs through the university partnership, including an ambassador program to work with Anthropic to launch educational initiatives on their campus and for students building projects with Claude to apply for funding in the form of API credits.
While Northeastern is the first university design partner, Claude for Education is also being offered at Champlain College and the London School of Economics.