The University of California, San Diego introduced an artificial intelligence tutor in a large introductory genetics course and launched a new undergraduate major in artificial intelligence, according to an April 9 announcement.
The initiatives aim to address the growing role of AI in higher education by providing students with tools that support learning while also preparing them to build future AI systems. Faculty members at UC San Diego are developing and studying these technologies as part of broader efforts to integrate AI into both teaching and curriculum development.
Christopher Day, assistant teaching professor in the School of Biological Sciences, is piloting the AI tutor designed for his nearly 400-student genetics class. The system does not provide direct answers but instead prompts students with questions and hints intended to guide them toward solutions. “The goal isn’t to replace the learning process,” Day said. “It’s to help students work through the problem and move toward understanding.”
The SmartLearning Hub project, led by Mohan Paturi, professor of computer science and engineering, developed this tutor using course-specific materials configured by instructors. Paturi said that large classes often lack individual attention: “The most important thing missing in large classes is individual attention.” He explained that their system places instructors at its center: “It’s built around the way the course is taught.” The tool has been used across disciplines such as economics, data science, nanoengineering, and biology at several institutions in San Diego.
Researchers are analyzing how students interact with the tool during group discussions or independent study sessions. Day noted varied engagement levels among students but saw value for those who use it outside scheduled class time: “In a class of this size, students can’t always get immediate feedback,” he said. “The tutor gives them another way to keep working instead of giving up or going straight to ChatGPT for the answer.”
Alongside these developments, UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering began offering an undergraduate major focused on artificial intelligence starting fall 2025—one of the first such programs nationally. Mia Minnes, vice chair for undergraduate education in computer science and engineering, said there was significant student demand as well as industry interest: “We saw enormous demand from students who wanted to go deeper into this area,” Minnes said.
Trevor Bonjour helped design the curriculum based on a spiral learning model so key concepts recur throughout coursework: “We wanted students to be exposed to these ideas from the start,” Bonjour said.
First-year student Leena Banga highlighted why she chose this path: “When you look at how many industries already rely on AI… Bringing in new perspectives helps ensure the systems we build are more responsible and less biased.” Another student, Christine Antoine added: “A lot of people think AI is easy because you can just type something into ChatGPT… But there’s a lot of math and coding that goes into making those systems work.”
Beyond classroom instruction, UC San Diego has contributed foundational research on neural networks leading up to modern generative models like ChatGPT; it also created TritonGPT—a campus-specific generative platform hosted at its supercomputer center—and expanded offerings such as campus-wide literacy courses about artificial intelligence.
