UvA launches proprietary AI chat environment for responsible use in education

The UvA AI Chat allows students and lecturers to explore generative AI within a secure environment, where data remains within the university’s own infrastructure and is not shared with third parties. This makes it fundamentally different from commercial tools like ChatGPT.

Responsible use is central to the UvA’s approach. By offering its own GenAI tool, the university takes ownership over how AI is integrated into education, ensuring transparency and safety. Students can gain hands-on experience with AI while staying within clearly defined boundaries that respect academic integrity.

With this tool, the university also promotes AI literacy: understanding the capabilities and limitations of AI, awareness of ethical concerns, and the ability to critically assess new technologies. Each programme retains the freedom to decide how and when the tool is used.

The development of UvA AI Chat is part of a broader collaboration with SURF and Npuls, which also includes exploring a national GenAI infrastructure for education. This way, institutions can work together to create safe and responsible AI tools.

The UvA is the first university in the Netherlands to introduce a proprietary GenAI environment on this scale. The aim is not to promote the use of AI for its own sake, but to support students and educators in using it responsibly — both during their studies and in their future careers.

Read more on the UvA website.