With artificial intelligence poised to reshape the future of learning and work, Ohio State University has announced an ambitious new initiative to ensure that every student will graduate with the AI proficiencies necessary to compete and lead.

Launching this fall for first-year students, Ohio State's AI Fluency initiative will embed AI education into the core of every undergraduate curriculum, equipping students with the ability to not only use AI tools, but to understand, question and innovate with them—no matter their major.

The result will be graduates who not only have technical AI skills, but also a rich understanding of how the ethical, secure use of AI tools can be harnessed for good across disciplines, whether health care, computer science, agriculture, or the humanities.

AI is a key priority of the Education for Citizenship 2035 strategic plan the University is developing. The plan aims to redefine the future of higher education, with a focus on academic excellence and a spirit of adaptability and innovation across the institution to meet the needs of the next generation.

AI fluency for every student

AI literacy and experiential learning will become foundational expectations for all undergraduate students, regardless of major. Initial steps begin this fall:

• All undergraduates will be introduced to generative AI basics in the required General Education Launch Seminar.
• GenAI workshops will be integrated into the First Year Success Series, part of the university's required survey course that helps students acclimate to college life. Additional workshops will be offered to equip students at all levels with experience in AI tools and applications.
• The new "Unlocking Generative AI" course will be offered and open to all majors. Students will gain essential skills to interact effectively with AI, craft prompts that inspire creativity and explore AI's impact on society.

Incorporating AI into General Education will ensure students in all fields build a foundational understanding of AI's impact and ethical considerations. Ohio State instructors will infuse AI into courses and programs serving graduate and professional students, as well.

AI at the core of student innovation

Ohio State will empower all students — undergraduate, graduate, and professional — to be entrepreneurial through hands-on experiences and real-world applications. Initiatives in development include AI-driven hackathons, programs for gaining work experience and hands-on workshops for building and prototyping products. The Center for Software Innovation and other university centers of expertise will collaborate with Ohio State's faculty to help develop custom AI content across fields of study.

By integrating AI education across the curriculum, Ohio State will prepare the next generation to be not just consumers of AI technology, but also creators and innovators, ensuring they are well positioned to contribute to and lead in the AI-driven economy.