The University of Georgia is investing $800,000 into a pilot program giving its students access to artificial intelligence tools in the hopes it will keep them competitive in the job market.

UGA President Jere W. Morehead announced the pilot program during his annual State of the University Address on Wednesday.

The program would give thousands of students licenses for AI tools, including ChatGPT Edu and Gemini Pro.

“Faculty and staff already have access to these platforms through their departments, and we look forward to broadening this student pilot in the months ahead,” Morehead said. 

The debate over AI use in universities

Many schools initially banned the use of AI after ChatGPT launched in late 2022. But views on the role of artificial intelligence in education have shifted dramatically. The term “AI literacy” was highly discussed as people headed to college last year, with university officials, professors, and students focusing on how to balance the strengths of AI with its risks and challenges.

Learning to use the tools could help graduates secure a foothold in a workforce where the use of AI is causing companies to streamline their operations, reducing plans to hire new employees. According to a report from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, companies directly pointed to the use of the technology in announcing 55,000 job cuts in 2025. Companies that have announced AI-related cuts include Pinterest, chemical and plastics manufacturer Dow, HP, and CrowdStrike.

Some educators worry the overuse and misuse of AI programs could decrease students’ ability to think critically and independently or to have persistence when attempting to solve complex problems.

University of Georgia officials emphasized that the pilot program would ensure that graduates are skilled in using AI tools “responsibly and effectively.”

A new school at the University of Georgia

Along with the AI program, Morehead announced that the university’s School of Medicine expects to learn if it will receive preliminary accreditation status by the national accreditation body in the coming weeks. If that happens, the school will be allowed to start recruiting its inaugural class.

This follows the authorization UGA received last year from the University System of Georgia Board of Regents to establish its School of Nursing.

“Together, the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing will expand the university’s transformational impact and place UGA and our graduates at the forefront of improving health care outcomes for people and communities in every corner of our state,” Morehead said. 

Construction is continuing on UGA’s $100 million medical education and research building, which is expected to be finished in December.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.