Vendors are developing generative AI (GAI) tools designed for postsecondary teaching, learning, and research contexts at breakneck speed. Established companies, start-ups, and even a few not-for-profit organizations are bringing new products to market almost every day, making it challenging for students and faculty to understand which tools will best serve their needs. Differentiating between tools and assessing their value is also a challenge for university CIOs, IT departments, and others involved in decision-making about which products will be supported and/or licensed for campus users. 

As part of our Making AI Generative for Higher Education project, conducted in partnership with 18 colleges and universities, Ithaka S+R has been closely tracking the GAI product landscape through a unique Product Tracking Tool. The Product Tracker includes a basic description of GAI tools marketed towards postsecondary faculty or student users, as well as information about the pricing model, key features, and other relevant details such as the large language model or datasets behind the tool or background on the vendor. The Product Tracker is a living document, which we update regularly as new products come to market or new information about existing products becomes available. 

We are excited to announce that we are releasing our Product Tracker for public use today alongside an issue brief exploring what these products suggest about the future of generative AI in teaching, learning, and academic research. Together, these two publications provide the higher education community with an easy way to keep up with developments in this space and assess the value of individual products.

What’s Next for Ithaka S+R?

We will continue to publish regular updates from the Making AI Generative for Higher Education project throughout the year. We currently have two surveys in the field that include consideration of GAI. Our international survey of Biomedical Research and Generative AI, an in-depth look at domain-specific adoption of GAI, is accepting responses. Our national Instructor Survey includes consideration of GAI use in postsecondary teaching and learning contexts. Findings from both studies will be shared this summer. 

We’re always eager to learn about how GAI is playing out in academic and scholarly contexts and anticipate launching more research projects in this space over the coming year. To learn more about our work or to share insights from your experiences with GAI, please contact Claire Baytas (claire.baytas@ithaka.org) or Dylan Ruediger (dylan.ruediger@ithaka.org).