About the Project
We started the project with AI Buddy, an AI assistant developed with and for UZH students. Its initial focus was on supporting students with course management, university-related information search and study organization. Building on these experiences, the project is now evolving into askUZH, a platform that brings together AI-powered applications for different use cases across the University of Zurich.
To deliver a useful tool quickly, we prioritize iteration over perfection. Feedback and critique — especially from students — are actively welcomed and seen as opportunities for improvement. In addition to the practical development of the AI assistant, the project includes research components to inform our design, share experiences internationally, and engage with feedback from other academic and industry teams.
As the project evolves, askUZH will continue to grow as a platform for AI-powered support, enabling new applications while building on the experience gained through AI Buddy.
Table of contents
Background
Our project is part of the Digital Charter, the implementation agenda for the digital transformation of the University of Zurich. Within this program, AI Buddy | askUZH represent one of seven action lines that actively shape the university’s digital future.
Vision, Mission, Value
Vision (Our ideal)
We envision AI as a supportive tool that helps realize UZH’s teaching mission of providing continuing education and lifelong learning. Developed with a focus on student needs, it can strengthen student integration and learning, and contribute to reducing structural barriers to equitable participation in higher education.
Mission (Our goal)
We develop a university-optimized AI assistant that harnesses the capabilities of large language models to support students in navigating their academic journey. It helps them organize their schedules, understand university regulations, and identify the appropriate people or offices to contact for academic guidance. Using multimodal features, the assistant also complements study organization and learning by allowing students to engage in ways that suit their individual needs and preferences.
Values (Fundamental principles guiding our actions)
- Student-centered
- Inclusive
- Open
- Strong data protection