U of T AI Task Force Unveils 'AI-Ready' Guidelines

Published Date : 17/06/2025 

The University of Toronto's AI task force has released recommendations to make the university an 'AI-ready' institution, focusing on building AI knowledge, creating infrastructure, and forming advisory teams. 

The University of Toronto’s (U of T) artificial intelligence (AI) task force has published a comprehensive set of recommendations aimed at transforming the university into an ‘AI-ready’ institution. The report, which covers a wide range of areas from teaching and research to student services and administration, seeks to position U of T as a leader in the judicious implementation of this transformative technology.

From building AI knowledge and expertise across the university to creating AI-ready infrastructure, the report outlines a human-centric approach to integrating AI. One of the key recommendations is the establishment of an ‘AI Kitchen,’ a secure and supportive environment for developing and testing AI projects. Additionally, the task force suggests forming AI response teams to provide technical and administrative support and an AI adoption advisory table to guide planning and decision-making.

Susan McCahan, special adviser to the provost on artificial intelligence and associate vice-president and vice-provost, digital strategies, emphasizes the necessity of responding to AI. “We don’t have a choice around responding to AI. It’s coming in through our windows and doors,” she says. “But we can lead by demonstrating how an organization takes a value-based, principles-based approach to thoughtfully working with the technology.”

AI, including generative AI and large language models like ChatGPT, is a rapidly evolving field with significant implications for higher education. The task force acknowledges the risks associated with AI, such as bias and misuse, but also highlights the potential benefits. These benefits include enhancing accessibility, research collaborations, and supporting learning, discovery, and innovation.

To develop its recommendations, the task force engaged six working groups focused on teaching and learning, research, student services, administration, operations, and institutional technology. Timothy Chan, co-chair of the task force’s research group and U of T’s associate vice-president and vice-provost, strategic initiatives, is optimistic about the potential of AI.

“I feel very optimistic about AI – and I think we need to approach it with an open mind,” Chan says. “As with any new technology, there will be bumps in the road. But if we learn how to use it properly, it can be a great thing for the research community.” The research group recommended streamlining research administration with AI tools, developing protocols to ensure research integrity, enhancing cross-disciplinary collaborations, and providing training for graduate students.

Chan notes that AI can dramatically accelerate literature reviews and data analysis. For example, he helped create an AI model for the milk bank at Mount Sinai Hospital that predicts nutritional composition and generates a daily recipe for pooled breast milk. “We showed that as the fat content went up, the protein went up, and variability went down. It was a win across the board.”

The operations and planning group, chaired by Ron Saporta, chief operating officer of property services and sustainability, experimented with a range of AI tools to see their potential. The group concluded that AI could improve forecasting, automate repetitive tasks, and enhance outcomes. They developed a chatbot grounded in U of T’s procurement policies, which was found to be accurate most of the time. “It helps our staff. Instead of spending time in low-value work of looking up the policy requirements, the AI engine did it,” says Saporta.

In other initiatives, U of T is using an older form of AI in the Navi virtual assistant, which helps students find campus information such as mental health services. A pilot program to help faculty members build AI tutors for their courses is set to expand this fall. Other initiatives include access to a secure version of ChatGPT for faculty and staff and the launch of Digital Learning Innovation’s GenAI Literacy Open Educational Resources.

In the spring of 2024, Trevor Young, U of T vice-president and provost, established the task force to conduct university-wide consultations, identify risks, and develop foundational principles. The task force was preceded by the Provost’s Advisory Group on Generative AI, which assessed generative AI tools used in teaching and learning and created a set of FAQs. Other resources available to faculty, librarians, staff, and students include U of T Libraries’ Generative AI Tools and Copyright Considerations and the School of Graduate Studies’ Guidance on the Appropriate Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Graduate Theses.

“I'm grateful to the task force for its important reports and recommendations,” says Young. “These will guide U of T as we continue to embrace this transformative technology and bolster our role as an AI leader in research, pedagogy, and more.” The university will now weigh how it can best adopt and implement the report’s recommendations.

McCahan says the report outlines a flexible framework for embracing AI that takes risk into account, supports people in learning about the technology, and ensures U of T maintains its world-leading approach. “We may not get it perfectly right – I don’t think anybody’s going to get it completely right,” she says. “But collaborating with the really smart people we have at U of T who understand this technology from different facets and perspectives is critically important and will help us make wise choices.” 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the main goal of U of T's AI task force?

A: The main goal of U of T's AI task force is to make the university 'AI-ready' by building AI knowledge and expertise, creating AI-ready infrastructure, and forming advisory teams to guide the implementation of AI technologies.

Q: What are some potential benefits of AI in higher education?

A: Potential benefits of AI in higher education include enhancing accessibility, supporting research collaborations, improving learning and discovery, and accelerating data analysis and literature reviews.

Q: What is the 'AI Kitchen' mentioned in the report?

A: The 'AI Kitchen' is a secure and supportive environment recommended in the report for developing and testing AI projects at the University of Toronto.

Q: How did the task force engage with the university community?

A: The task force engaged with the university community through six working groups focused on teaching and learning, research, student services, administration, operations, and institutional technology.

Q: What resources are available to U of T faculty and students regarding AI?

A: U of T provides resources such as the Navi virtual assistant, access to a secure version of ChatGPT, and the GenAI Literacy Open Educational Resources, among others, to support faculty and students in understanding and using AI technologies. 

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