NTU to give all students access to premium Google AI tools under curriculum overhaul
Nanyang Technological University aims to embed AI into 40 per cent of the courses it offers by 2030, up from 5 per cent now.
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SINGAPORE: Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will soon hand all undergraduates full access to a suite of Google AI tools, from August 2026, as part of a push to integrate AI into its curriculum.
The tools include Gemini Enterprise, Google AI Studio and Vertex AI.
In a news release on Monday (Apr 6), NTU said it plans to increase the number of courses incorporating AI to about 40 per cent by 2030, up from about 5 per cent currently.
The university added that it is the first in Singapore to adopt AI in education at this scale.
FREE AI TOOLS
Students will get computing credits to use the Google software to build and deploy their own AI agents for learning and problem-solving. They can create dozens of such AI agents to support their studies, said NTU.
"These agents are portable - NTU graduates can continue to use and improve them even after they enter the workforce to enhance their productivity.
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"This feature will make the university’s graduates highly competitive in the job market," NTU said.
This move was made in consultation with the NTU Students’ Union, the school said, adding that access to the Google software will be offered to all undergraduates, regardless of discipline.
"These tools cater to a broad range of technical backgrounds, from first-time users to advanced builders, helping students experience new ways of learning."
AI-EMBEDDED COURSES
Half of the AI-embedded courses will use AI to personalise learning and help students better grasp challenging material, while the other half will focus on building, deploying and managing AI agents to solve real-world problems, said NTU.
It added that its NTU AI Learning Assistant platform allows educators to develop AI tutors trained on course materials to help students address their own learning gaps around the clock.
In the second group of courses, students will engage in problem-based learning, working on real-world problems from industry, government and society.
"The goal is to produce graduates who can not only learn continuously with AI tutors but can also create and work effectively with AI agents," said NTU.
NTU gave an example of an engineering student developing a new car, noting that they could use AI agents to create various design options and simulate their potential energy usage.
RESPONSIBLE AI USAGE
NTU President Professor Ho Teck Hua touted NTU as one of the world’s top-ranked universities for AI research and is "well-placed to pioneer a new model of education with AI".
"For instance, a business student might deploy AI agents to run randomised control experiments to test various pricing points for a new product on an e-commerce website," he said.
Prof Ho, who is also the founding executive chairman of AI Singapore and a member of the Economic Strategy Review’s committee on human capital, added: "By embedding AI across our curriculum, our graduates will leave NTU with not just a deep understanding of AI, but also a portfolio of AI agents ready to deploy from day one in the workforce. This collection of AI agents will be a key differentiator for our graduates."
NTU said students will be taught to use AI responsibly, including assessing the accuracy and ethical implications of output generated by AI agents.
These skills will be taught in a mandatory course, "Science and Technology for Humanity".
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