Spring 2024 Semester in Review
2024 marks a new year, a fresh start, and a renewed focus on enriching the communities we serve. Arizona State University (ASU) perseveres at the forefront of technological advancement, integrating AI into workflows and classroom settings to enhance learning experiences. Alongside novel technologies, ASU continues to incorporate innovative partnerships into its overarching strategy for promoting excellence in higher education.
By harnessing artificial intelligence and collaborating with industry giants, such as Zoom and OpenAI, Enterprise Technology continues to evolve and elevate the experiences of every Sun Devil.
Each semester, we craft two reports—“By the Numbers” and “Semester in Review”—showcasing our continuous progress in propelling the ASU community towards excellence.
Spring 2024 semester recap: Key stories
Throughout the past semester, our newsroom has covered exciting developments centered around technological advancements, especially artificial intelligence (AI).
Each narrative dives into the ambitious efforts of our students, learners, faculty, and staff, highlighting their dedication to staying current with technological progress and leveraging it to enhance learning outcomes.
These stories underscore ASU's commitment to responsible innovation, both on campus and across the wider Arizona community.
Here are the story arcs encompassing our spring 2024 semester.
Writing smarter, not harder: An exploration of AI inside the humanities
Jacob Greene, assistant professor at Arizona State University’s (ASU) Department of English, is teaching a graduate-level course called Writing for Scholarly Publication this semester. For over a year now, Greene has been exploring the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on academic writing practices in the humanities. His work was accelerated this semester with the introduction of ChatGPT Enterprise — a version of the OpenAI chatbot that offers increased levels of privacy to safeguard any data or information a user inputs into the chat — as part of the AI Innovation Challenge the university launched this semester.
AI Innovation Challenge expands to student researchers and coursework
Starting Monday, March 25, faculty, staff, and – now – student researchers at Arizona State University (ASU) are eligible to submit proposals to use ChatGPT Enterprise across academic, research, and work environments. The launch of round two of submissions for the AI Innovation Challenge at ASU expands the use of ChatGPT Enterprise to student researchers while simultaneously honing transformation to three key areas of impact access the university: teaching and learning, use-inspired research and the future of work.
2. Campus to community
ASU Prep students catch a glimpse into the future at Next Lab
ASU Prep students enrolled in the Emerging Technology Internship program have exciting learning adventures on the horizon. The program, which spans 14 weeks, offers high school students a unique opportunity to explore various technology-based initiatives, programs and professions offered across Arizona State University (ASU) – which has been repeatedly recognized for leading in innovation. Such programs include ASU Next Lab, Dreamscape Learn and Engineering Education Outreach offered by Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, to name a few.
High school hackers rethink waste management at ASU Spark Challenge
More than 20 high school students from across the Phoenix valley convened at SkySong, the Arizona State University (ASU) Scottsdale Innovation Center to explore sustainable solutions for managing consumer waste. The day-long event was hosted by ASU Enterprise Technology as part of its Spark Challenge technical hackathon series. The March 16 event was co-created with Girls in Tech Phoenix, a local chapter of a nationwide group dedicated to supporting women in technology.
3. Partnerships fuel innovation
AI Innovation Challenge at ASU - call for proposals is now open
On January 18, Arizona State University (ASU) made global headlines as the first university to collaborate with OpenAI, the AI research and deployment company behind ChatGPT. The collaboration brings the advanced capabilities of ChatGPT Enterprise into higher education, setting a new precedent for how universities enhance learning, creativity and student outcomes. Starting February 1, 2024, the university launched its AI Innovation Challenge – welcoming ASU’s faculty and staff to submit proposals to access ChatGPT Enterprise.
A look at ASU’s Zoom Innovation Lab one year later
In 2022, ASU and Zoom announced a first-of-its-kind strategic partnership with the goal of combining resources available across ASU — including the university’s expertise, research, networks, and learning assets — with Zoom’s technology and talent to create solutions that better connect society. In 2023, the Zoom Innovation Lab at ASU celebrated its first year of operation. At launch, two projects were already underway, including the development of a digital twin by ASU Enterprise Technology and a telehealth app from the Luminosity Lab. In the spring of 2024, significant progress has been made. We checked back in with the teams to explore the evolution of their work.
