New centralised AI access for universities in NRW©Pixabay / Frank_Rietsch
State government promotes anonymous access to AI services for students and researchers with KI:connect.nrw project
Students and researchers at universities in North Rhine-Westphalia have centralised access to generative AI applications. The service, initiated and funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, is technically supported by RWTH Aachen University and opens up new opportunities for study, research and teaching.
Generative AI models such as ChatGPT have become an integral part of everyday academic life. They support students and researchers in writing texts, analysing scientific literature and creating graphics or data visualisations. In order to ensure secure and uncomplicated use, the state government is providing universities in NRW with centralised access. This enables students to use AI services without having to create a personal account. Requests are processed anonymously and hosted on a server in Europe. The service portal was developed in the KI:connect.nrw project at RWTH Aachen University, which is funded by the state with one million euros. KI:connect.nrw is also responsible for the technical support.
Pioneering work in NRW
With this new programme, North Rhine-Westphalia is setting an example for open access to AI in academic education. “North Rhine-Westphalia is creating the conditions for all students to have reliable and easy access to generative AI. This makes North Rhine-Westphalia one of the pioneers in Germany. AI tools are already an integral part of our everyday lives. They will realise their full potential to make people’s lives better if we integrate them into research and teaching,” said Ina Brandes, Minister of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Test phase with seven universities
Before AI access is rolled out nationwide, seven universities are trialling the service in a test phase lasting several weeks. These include RWTH Aachen University, Dortmund University of Technology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Westfälische Hochschule, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, Hochschule Bochum and TH Köln. Access is expected to be available to all 36 public universities in North Rhine-Westphalia, including music and art universities, from March 2025.