University of Sydney expects Cogniti usage to double by EOY

The University of Sydney expects its in-house generative AI tool, Cogniti, to become used across roughly 600 units of study by the end of the year.

The university is currently in an early-stage pilot with the ‘Cogniti’ tool, with expectations it will be more accessible, have more reliable answers and offer educators more control over how the AI is used.   

Through a partnership with Microsoft Azure in late 2022, the university’s information and communication technology (ICT) division began developing a large-language-model-as-a-service platform.  

The University of Sydney’s innovation lead, Jim Cook said in a Microsoft case study Cogniti allows students to get “instant, personalised support, guidance and feedback” while boosting efficiencies for staff.

To date, the team has now built 33 minimum viable products on its Azure platform with AI assistant Cogniti considered its most successful solution.

A University of Sydney spokesperson told Digital Nation, “Cogniti is in use across 300 units of study and we expect this to double by the end of 2024”.

“Our initial investment in generative AI was modest but it soon became clear that more significant investment would future-proof our whole University community,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added the work is “ongoing and continually evolving”.

“It’s also being used and piloted at around 20 institutions across the world and is available to students 24/7.   

“Given the fast-moving and innovative nature of the work, not all these products will reach production,

“But several are already being used for various purposes across the university, including our AI policy navigator, which is being tested by approximately a hundred of our staff,” they said.

The University of Sydney is aiming to be “a market leader in this area, collaborating with and assisting other universities on best practice and partnering with Microsoft to harness the power of AI for good.”

“We’re working on resources to help teachers incorporate AI in teaching and assessment, and supporting our community with workshops, seminars, roundtables, staff and student forums, written materials and online resources, including a student co-designed guide for using AI in education and lessons on how students can use it well,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson explained the university is “setting assignments” that encourage students to collaborate with generative AI “productively and responsibly”.

“Our latest academic integrity policy specifically mentions ‘inappropriately generating content using artificial intelligence’ as one form of contract cheating.

“We’ve also modified our coursework policy with new principles requiring our programs to both develop ethical and effective use of generative AI and to assure learning through supervised assessments that restrict or control its use," the spokesperson concluded.