Strengthening Virginia Tech’s leadership in AI innovation
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is transforming how research and education are conducted across disciplines at Virginia Tech. Throughout the fiscal year, the Division of IT worked to leverage AI to advance innovation, while considering the impacts of AI on teaching, learning, and research both now and into the future.
AI as a Service
Large Language Models (LLMs) can accelerate discovery, support data analysis, and inspire new ways of thinking about complex problems. However, steep learning curves, concerns over data privacy, and the often high cost of commercial AI services are obstacles to accessing LLMs for research.
To help our researchers harness the benefits of generative AI, Advanced Research Computing (ARC) launched LLMs as a Service in March 2025. The service provides secure access to powerful AI models hosted entirely within ARC’s computing infrastructure, at no cost to the researcher.
By containerizing LLMs and running them on-site, sensitive data stays protected within Virginia Tech’s systems, while freeing researchers from the need to invest in costly commercial subscriptions or navigate complex technical setups. Supported by ARC’s computational science team and accessed through an intuitive web interface, the service is designed to lower barriers and empower researchers in all fields to explore what AI can do, confident that their data remains secure and their focus can remain on discovery and impact.
AI working group charts path to responsible use of artificial intelligence at Virginia Tech
While Artificial intelligence (AI) presents many opportunities to enhance research, teaching, and learning, it also presents real ethical, financial, and social challenges if not applied with care. The Division of IT is helping to lead Virginia Tech’s efforts to assess the current and potential uses for AI across the university, to explore priorities, wishes, and concerns across our community, and to establish a framework for responsible and ethical AI use at Virginia Tech.
This effort included formation of an AI working group, co-chaired by David Raymond, the Division of IT’s associate vice president for security and identity, and Dale Pike, associate vice provost for technology-enhanced learning. The group assessed user needs, conducted comparative analyses, and drafted a comprehensive framework that will guide the university community when using and selecting AI tools at Virginia Tech.
A new website, AI at Virginia Tech, was developed to provide updates on AI working group activities, list AI tools currently available to the university, and share resources for using AI safely and appropriately. The AI working group is expected to release a final report and AI framework in fall 2025.
