Exploring AI Acceleration
During the presentations, ASU’s AI Acceleration team took the stage to showcase how AI is being deployed across the university. The first-of-its-kind team is part of a larger initiative being led by ASU’s Enterprise Technology to drive strategy across the university that empowers all students, faculty and staff to leverage the advantages of AI to enhance their daily work.
Elizabeth Reilley on accelerating AI accessibility at ASU: “We’re really focused on embracing AI, not as a replacement for human intelligence, but as an amplifier of human creativity and problem-solving,” said Reilley, executive director of Enterprise Technology’s AI Acceleration team. “To help unlock our full potential and take away some of those mundane tasks, allowing us to be our most creative and thoughtful selves.”
Adding to the AI insights from the AI Acceleration team were Lucas Kauffman, Varun Shourie, and Nicholas Sefiddashti, who touched on how Enterprise Technology is using AI to enhance how students navigate research, financial aid and employee satisfaction survey analysis.
“We're using AI and this moment as an opportunity to bring folks together and uplift our community,” Reilley continued. “That's why we’re going forward in a very thoughtful way, in a very methodical way, ensuring we’re making progress and testing for harm every step of the way.”
Building university-wide collaborations
The following presenters shared the innovative ways ASU is weaving AI tools into the classroom to boost creativity, discovery and learning, and to bridge the gap between traditional pedagogies and new ways of teaching. These faculty members demystified how AI tools can be used to streamline teaching processes, elevate engagement and encourage a culture of collaborative learning.
Danielle McNamara on creative accessible AI resources at ASU: “Generative AI offers a huge opportunity to lead, and we need to help faculty, instructors and students navigate this broader arena by creating accessible resources,” said McNamara, the executive director of ASU’s Learning Engineering Institute. “That's why we created the generative AI LEAP [team] — to bring faculty, students, instructors and experts together to create these resources. It begins here, at ASU. We're paving the way for other institutions by setting up a space for collaboration across our multiple enterprises.”
Lance Gharavi on AI’s impact on the ASU community: “These are exciting, amazing new technologies, and what we have to figure out is how it impacts the student experience — on the learning outcomes, on research and on creativity,” said Gharavi a professor in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre, part of the Herberger Institute for Design and Arts.
Read more about insights from the faculty across ASU who are using AI in the classroom.
Enhancing the learning experience
Adding to the theme, presenters showcased the transformative role AI tools are playing in elevating the learning experience. These faculty have made it their mission to unravel the potential of AI to tailor the learning experience for each student’s unique academic journey.
Pavan Turaga on the future of AI-generated art: “Frankly, there is a culture in the School of Art, by and large, that AI art is not art, but if it's part of a broader process, if it's part of a collage, if it's part of something bigger, and it's packaged in some meaningful and in an intentional way, perhaps there is a way forward,” said Turaga, director and professor in the School of Arts, Media and Engineering.
Kyle Jensen on using AI tools to enhance writing: “The bottom line is this — that when it comes to to generative AI in the writing classroom, these kinds of tools can actually create opportunities for students to do the routine work that is characteristic of good writing, and that professional writers engage and on a day-to-day basis,” said Jensen, professor and director of writing programs in ASU’s Department of English.
Read more about how faculty are using AI to enhance teaching and learning.
Ron Beghetto on overcoming barriers with AI tools: “When we encounter a certain level of uncertainty, we quickly realize that traditional ways of thinking and acting no longer work for us,” said Beghetto, professor and Pinnacle West presidential chair at the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. “And when we’re working alone, and we hit a certain threshold, we might eventually just say, ‘This is too much for me, I don't know how to do this.’ That's why partnering with more skilled others is a powerful way to expand the horizon of the possible — and one of those more skilled others is generative AI.”
At ASU, innovation isn’t just an aspiration — it’s our guiding principle as we navigate a future filled with limitless possibilities. Engage serves as a platform, bridging ASU’s varied learning communities and empowering faculty and students to exchange ideas and projects shaping tomorrow.