This month’s article comes courtesy of UCLA’s Chief Information Officer, Lucy Avetisyan.
Dear Colleagues,
The rapid rise of powerful artificial intelligence (AI) tools over the past several years has been met with feelings of both enthusiasm and concern. However, no matter how one feels about this technology, it certainly has significant implications for the way we conduct our research, academic and administrative activities. Recognizing this, I am pleased to share the availability of UCLA’s Generative AI site — a collaborative resource that will help our community explore and leverage the capabilities of AI in alignment with our institutional principles of integrity and scholarly excellence.
Ethical and Security Guidance
Central to the GenAI site is a dedicated section on ethical and security guidance that builds on the advice and strategies shared by the Academic Senate’s campuswide announcement on AI teaching guidance. Emphasizing the importance of ethical and responsible use of GenAI, this section provides insights into data privacy, security, ethical considerations, limitations and other risks associated with GenAI applications. This guidance serves as a cornerstone, ensuring that our community not only thrives through the use of advanced AI but also navigates its complexities with a principled and informed approach.
Products
The site presents a curated selection of GenAI tools for our campus community that have been carefully selected to ensure compliance with the highest security and privacy standards.
- Available Today: Microsoft Copilot is currently free for faculty and non-UCLA Health staff via UCLA logon credentials and features robust commercial data protections. An extension of Microsoft Copilot for students is planned in the near future.
- Pilots Underway: We are actively piloting several productivity tools, including Microsoft 365 Copilot and Google Gemini for Workspaces.
Guides and Training
Understanding our community’s diverse needs, we have provided comprehensive guides and training materials tailored for different proficiency levels on our GenAI site. These resources are designed to empower our campus community to effectively leverage GenAI tools and stay at the forefront of this rapidly advancing field, as the site will be continuously updated with articles, publications, references and resources. This commitment to ongoing education will support our collective growth and adaptability in an ever-evolving technological landscape.
DataX
In tandem with our GenAI endeavors, UCLA’s DataX initiative stands as a beacon of pioneering research, seamlessly integrating with IT Services’ strategies to enrich and extend the fabric of AI innovation at UCLA. DataX’s cutting-edge exploration into AI and data science not only complements but also elevates our GenAI offerings. Together, our collaborative efforts will pave the way for breakthroughs and establish UCLA as a vanguard in the ethical application of AI, ensuring that our community is fortified with the latest developments in data science and AI tools for academic and administrative distinction.
Campus Engagement and Feedback
The launch of our new site emphasizes our commitment to and importance of community engagement and continuous learning about GenAI. In addition to the many events shared on the site, we invite you to join our mailing list to stay informed about upcoming keynotes, presentations, workshops and training sessions that are integral to the technological advancements underway. To further our commitment to continuous improvement and partnership with our campus community, we kindly ask for your feedback on the GenAI site. Your insights are invaluable as we strive to enhance the content and tools offered to best support the needs of our UCLA community.
As we navigate the evolving landscape, we encourage everyone to make UCLA’s GenAI a frequent destination for discovery and learning. This path we are on is one of collective effort and shared purpose, spanning the entire campus community. Our commitment is to forge partnerships and foster a culture of collaboration, ensuring that as we delve into the vast possibilities of AI, we do so with a unified dedication to innovation and a profound sense of responsibility.
Lucy Avetisyan
Associate Vice Chancellor
Chief Information Officer
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