Spotlight on AI: UMD Transforms Every Stage of Education

From enhancements to K-12 teaching to global workforce training, the University of Maryland is integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into every layer of learning. Across campus, AI is emerging not only as a subject of study but as a powerful tool for innovation and empowerment.

Through initiatives such as a project to develop an open-source AI dataset for improving math instruction, faculty development programs that trains instructors about generative AI-informed teaching, and a new Master of Science in artificial intelligence for working professionals, UMD is redefining how students and educators engage with AI.

Throughout October, we’ve been spotlighting how UMD is shaping the future of AI—advancing research, education and public service. This week, we turn to education and the university’s efforts to understand how AI is transforming the ways we teach, learn and prepare for an AI-driven world.

• UMD this year launched its own generative-AI chatbot service (powered by OpenAI), available to students, faculty and staff, along with guidelines for responsible use of generative AI in teaching and research. TerpAI leverages natural language processing to generate responses based on user input, which is never shared outside of UMD, and is one of several generative AI services provided by the Division of Information Technology.  
   
• A research team led by Assistant Professor Jing Liu from the College of Education and Wei Ai from the College of Information received a $4.5 million philanthropic grant from the Gates Foundation/Walton Family Foundation to develop a large, open-source dataset for AI training systems focused on K-12 math education. They aim to collect recordings and classroom data from around 300 instructors teaching grades 4-8, with rich annotations of teaching practices, student interactions, lesson plans and more so AI systems can better understand and support effective math instruction and student learning. 
   
• UMD’s Teaching and Learning Transformation Center launched a “GenAI-Informed Pedagogy” track to help instructors think through when and how to integrate generative AI tools into their teaching—and when to explicitly leave them out. In just over a year, over 600 faculty have taken advantage of this program. Participants are learning how to shift assignments, course design and student-interaction practices to reflect the presence of AI. 
   
• This semester, the university launched a Master of Science in artificial intelligence program. The 30-credit non-thesis program is aimed primarily at working professionals and covers topics like machine learning, deep learning, human-computer interaction, and AI ethics and policy. The program reflects UMD’s commitment to train the next generation of AI-fluent professionals. 
   
• The Robert H. Smith School of Business is extending AI education to the broader workforce through a free online certificate in artificial intelligence and career empowerment. Hosted by the Center for AI in Business, this program has registered over 32,000 learners since it launched in the spring, covering topics like AI literacy, supply chain, marketing and career searching in the AI age. 
   
• UMD Libraries and the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center created an online learning module about AI Literacy, which won UMD's 2025 "Invention of the Year" award in the social innovation category. The module has been integrated into 350 courses at UMD and is being used by 90 universities around the globe. The companion research guide has been viewed over 97,000 times and is available to anyone who wants to get more AI-savvy.
   
• College of Education Professor Doug Lombardi plans to develop an AI-driven instructional tool that deepens scientific and civic reasoning in K-12 education. The tool will help students critically evaluate complex scientific issues and support teachers in fostering deeper learning, critical thinking and analytical reasoning. This project is one of 22 awarded funding through a new seed grant program administered by the Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM), a collaborative hub that the university launched in Spring 2024 to conduct research, offer innovative and experiential learning opportunities for students, and focus on responsible AI technology to advance the public good. 

To learn more about how the University of Maryland is shaping the future of AI, visit ai.umd.edu.