SUTD students and staff get access to GPT, Claude, Gemini and other AI models

From September 14, students and faculty members at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) now have access to an array of AI tools, including GPT, Claude, Gemini, Qwen, and Kimi. These resources are available through a new online platform called the SUTD Large Language Model (LLM) Gateway. The platform offers various models with distinct strengths, and the selection may evolve as technology advances.

Previously, faculty and students subscribed to individual AI providers, using their course or project budgets for access. SUTD's provost, Chee Yeow Meng, explained that the university aims to provide a unified entry point to multiple AI models instead of standardising on a single provider or having each user subscribe to separate services.

The platform allows staff and students to interact with 15 AI models across six providers, such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. The list of available models is expected to expand as new models become available. Users can also request specific models that are currently not accessible through the chat interface. Additionally, they can utilize an API-key, which connects them to a broader marketplace of over 500 AI models beyond the curated list on the chat interface.

The university has partnered with Microsoft, which announced in April that it would grant over 200,000 tertiary education students in Singapore free access to its Microsoft 365 premium plan, which includes Copilot, an AI assistant integrated into various Microsoft Office tools for drafting, summarising, and analysing content. Other local universities, such as National University of Singapore and Singapore Management University, also provide premium AI tools to their students.

SUTD emphasizes the importance of students developing critical judgment about AI tools' strengths, limitations, and appropriate usage. The AI tools offered by SUTD adhere to the university's data protection requirements, ensuring that prompts are not retained after processing, and the university's data is not utilized by providers to train their models.

Automated checks within the system monitor messages for attempts to manipulate the AI and automatically redact sensitive information, such as phone numbers, ID numbers, and other identifying details. By granting students access to diverse AI models, SUTD aims to enable them to incorporate AI into their designs and applications as part of their studies, fostering the development of AI-driven solutions.