NUS makes AI courses compulsory, gives all students and staff free ChatGPT Edu access

The moves are part of a new AI strategy announced by NUS on Aug 11.

 ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN

SINGAPORE – From August, all National University of Singapore (NUS) undergraduates will be required to take at least two compulsory courses in artificial intelligence before graduating, regardless of their field of study.

This includes a new introductory AI course for all incoming students, alongside changes across schools’ common curricula and majors. All existing and incoming students and staff will also get free access to ChatGPT Edu, a version built by OpenAI for universities and schools to use.

The moves are part of a new AI strategy announced by the university on Aug 11.

Under the plan, AI will be built into how each discipline is taught and used in students’ day-to-day work, while ensuring that they still develop distinctly human qualities like judgment and communication.

“The core business of a university is really to develop the human, not to develop the AI,” said NUS deputy president (academic affairs) and provost Aaron Thean, speaking to media ahead of the announcement on July 27.

He added that the goal is for all students to be “AI fluent” by the time they graduate, while a smaller group specialising in the field would go on to master it.

NUS has about 29,600 undergraduates across 15 colleges, faculties and schools.