Dear Fellow Patriots,
We are pleased to announce the release of George Mason University’s enterprise AI platform, PatriotAI. This platform represents the first major outcome of our strategic partnership with Microsoft and Cloudforce, established earlier this year to begin a meaningful and thoughtful integration of artificial intelligence capabilities into university operations, starting with targeted academic and student services.
PatriotAI is the inaugural component of our "Integrate AI" initiative, one of four key pillars in our broader vision of "George Mason University as an AI Innovation Nexus." For complete details about this vision, please visit ai.gmu.edu.
What is PatriotAI?
PatriotAI is a suite of six specialized AI tools, called agents, offering secure, university-managed access to large language models that aid academic work, studies and student life. These agents were co-developed with members of our community, including the AI Visioning Taskforce, representing our first lineup of AI tools designed to enhance learning, instruction, research, and administration across campus:
- Patriot Chat, a general-purpose conversational assistant—for everyone at George Ask Patriot Chat just about anything and get reliable and insightful answers while ensuring your privacy and security.
- DocuMate, a scholarly document analysis assistant, designed for everyone at George Mason to summarize documents, extract their key concepts, help formulate research questions, and conduct cross-document analyses.
- PatriotPal, a virtual assistant for students, providing accurate and helpful information about administrative procedures, academic policies, and student services at George Mason.
- NourishNet, a resource connector for student food insecurity that offers compassionate guidance on food access programs, whether on campus or in the community, all while maintaining a stigma-free experience.
- CourseMate, a student learning assistant that helps students understand lecture content, analyze research articles, interpret textbook materials, and prepare for exams.
- SyllaBright, a course design assistant that helps faculty develop and refine educational materials including syllabi, learning objectives, planning assessments, and adapting content for multilingual contexts.
Safe Integration and Innovation
As we expand AI access across our community, we have established guiding principles for the safe use of these technologies, with specific guidance for instructors, researchers, students, and staff currently in development. We are committed to providing these tools in a manner that ensures data privacy and security while supporting our diverse community.
Explore the beta version
Follow this link to PatriotAI chat agents to try it out as we prepare to debut this at scale in fall 2025.
AI Literacy and Training
We are committed to AI literacy and training for every member of our community – a core element of our "Inspire with AI" initiative. Our comprehensive program includes:
- Self-paced resources through LinkedIn Learning (NOTE: you must be logged in to LinkedIn Learning which is available to George Mason employees via SSO.)
- Workshops and bootcamps, including Microsoft-supported educator training, which began May 26
- Stearns Center courses on AI integration are scheduled for June 9 (full) and August 4-7 (seats available)
- Lunch-and-learn sessions, prompt-athons, and a rich suite of other interactive activities
While some training opportunities will debut this summer, our full-scale program launches this fall. These initiatives will empower you to use AI tools and to understand their capabilities, limitations, and ethical implications.
Our Vision
PatriotAI is intentionally designed as an experimental platform with four primary goals:
- Democratize access to AI tools across our diverse campus
- Promote digital literacy in an AI-driven world
- Foster innovation in teaching, learning, and research
- Enhance productivity in academic and administrative functions
Through this platform, we will learn, adapt, and grow based on your feedback and experiences.
Next Steps
In the coming months, you will receive more information about the platform, training opportunities, and feedback channels that will shape PatriotAI's future development.
We encourage all members of our community to approach this new resource with curiosity and creativity as we explore how AI can enhance our university's mission while maintaining our commitment to academic integrity and excellence.
Sincerely,
Gregory Washington, President
James Antony, Provost
Amarda Shehu, Vice President and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer
Charmaine Madison, Vice President and Chief Information Officer