A Canadian university is testing AI tools designed to help students learn — responsibly
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, Ontario, has launched a pilot program that brings a human-centred artificial intelligence (AI) learning agent directly into the classroom. The goal isn’t to replace teachers, but to give students a safe, ethical, and supportive AI tool they can use during their studies.
The pilot is running through the winter and spring academic terms, involving students in 22 different undergraduate and graduate classes across the university. Rather than being a generic chatbot, this learning agent is designed with trust, accountability, and academic integrity in mind. It’s meant to work alongside students, helping them review material, clarify questions, and improve comprehension while ensuring responsible use of AI in education.
What makes this project stand out is the intentional focus on trust and human oversight. Students have direct input into how the system works and evolves, offering feedback that helps shape future AI development. This is a big step beyond typical classroom experiments with AI, because it brings students into the design process instead of merely treating them as passive users.
Faculty members involved in the pilot also emphasize the importance of preparing students for a world where AI will be a regular part of professional life. By exposing learners to AI tools that respect privacy and reinforce ethical decision-making, Ontario Tech hopes to build not just technical proficiency but AI fluency with integrity.
Experts say this kind of student-centric approach could be a model for other universities and colleges grappling with how to integrate AI responsibly into curricula. If successful, it could influence broader debates about AI’s role in education, helping institutions strike a balance between innovation and safeguarding academic standards.
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