Read the report: Toward an AI-Ready University
The University of Toronto’s AI Task Force has envisioned a responsible path toward becoming an AI-ready institution. This vision spans the university’s core activities: teaching and learning, research, student services, administration, operations, and the broader technology and data landscape.
With a critical and principled approach to AI adoption, the Task Force focused on how AI can enhance the expertise of faculty, librarians and staff, while enriching the student learning experience. Their recommendations are grounded in U of T’s leadership in AI development and its commitment to ethical innovation.
Strategic priorities
To achieve a human-centred approach to AI that builds on U of T’s leadership in AI development, the Task Force identified four strategic priorities.
Support and grow AI expertise at U of T
The University of Toronto is a leader in many areas of artificial intelligence. U of T will invest in growing AI expertise by enhancing AI literacy, supporting professional development and promoting the sharing of effective practices. The university will also engage its community in shaping AI priorities, tools and use cases, along with strengthening the data and IT infrastructure needed to support responsible AI integration.
Establish AI Adoption Table and adopt established processes
To guide strategic decision-making, U of T will establish a university-wide expert advisory body. In the course of its work this group will engage with faculty, librarians and students, and advise leadership, develop institutional guidelines and coordinate U of T’s contributions to broader AI policy discussions. Its members will draw expertise from all three campuses, including specialists in privacy, legal, ethics, data governance, information security, AI, data and analytics, research data management, technology, business process optimization, and procurement.
Create AI Response Team
Successfully implementing AI projects requires both skilled advice to identify and plan effective AI use, and appropriate support to configure AI tools and data for safe, accurate operation. A new AI Response Team will contribute diverse expertise to provide technical and administrative support for the development and implementation of selected AI projects.
Develop AI Kitchen and AI tool availability
Appropriate AI infrastructure can mitigate risks while enabling responsible use. The AI Kitchen will offer a secure virtual environment equipped with AI tools and data access to test and implement advanced AI projects with technical and process support from U of T. The AI kitchen would allow users to evaluate and compare AI tools’ performance in technical, ethical, and environmental criteria, for projects related to teaching and learning, administration, operations, research, and possibly student groups once the kitchen has reached a level of maturity.
Reports
As part of the AI Task Force, each working group was chaired by expert members in essential areas of the university’s mission and operations. Through a priority-driven process, each working group consulted broadly with stakeholders in the creation of guidelines and frameworks for AI use in its focus areas, aligned with broader principles identified by the Task Force.
These working and advisory groups identified their own priorities in reports that contribute to a robust strategy for AI activities and use across the university. These reports and statements are available to read and download below.