The Hub initiated supporting Generative AI innovation through
cross-campus creativity, collaboration, and exploration.

IN SEPTEMBER 2023, Provost Coleman and CIO Martin initiated the GenAI Solutions Hub to connect experts with diverse perspectives to define and implement infrastructure, procurement pathways, and usage best practices to support Generative AI at Illinois in a way that advances development, fosters consistency and access, reduces unnecessary duplication, and aligns with privacy and security best practices. The Solutions Hub contributed to and aligned with the system-wide GenAI risk management strategy. 

Scope

The GenAI Solutions Hub was charged to aggregate capabilities and corresponding resources to empower responsible adoption of generative AI at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The work of the Hub ranged from September 2023 to July 2025.

Purpose

The GenAI Solutions Hub connected experts with diverse perspectives to start building community, coordinating resources, and advising university leadership to support Generative AI at Illinois in a way that advanced development, fostered consistency and access, reduced unnecessary duplication, and aligned with privacy and security best practices. The GenAI Solutions Hub contributed to and aligned with the system-wide risk management strategy.

Goals

In its second year, the Hub began the work to:

• Continue to identify and provide campus use cases and best practices for the application of Generative AI in teaching and learning, research, and administrative operations.
• Review and make recommendations for campus policies related to Generative AI.
• Evaluate Generative AI tools for enterprise use on campus.
• Provide information about Generative AI resources and opportunities to the campus via the genai.illinois.edu website.
• Advise the CIO and Provost on campus investment strategies related to Generative AI infrastructure, vended tools, internal development, training, and support.
• Sponsor campus training workshops and collaboration events related to Generative AI.
• Coordinate, foster and engage campus communities of practice focused on the use of Generative AI, specifically in the domains of teaching and learning, research, and administrative operations

Structure

The GenAI Solutions Hub consisted of faculty and staff from multiple disciplines across campus. Members of the Hub contributed primarily through standing working groups focused on the use of generative AI in the mission areas of teaching and learning, research, and administrative operations.