In this context, training academics and preparing institutions has become critical. Assessment methods must be redesigned, compliance with technological progress ensured, and students must be supported in developing both Gen AI proficiency and critical thinking in parallel. Generative AI is now a structural component of economic growth, and learning to work with it, in any field of study, is no longer optional.
The fast-paced and highly competitive evolution of generative AI tools, together with their widespread adoption, has placed significant pressure on institutions to provide these resources to students and academics. Most institutions lack the specialized resources needed to keep up with market developments and to integrate AI in a safe and effective way. Some can respond individually, but many cannot. Data security and the risk of models being trained on sensitive institutional information have therefore become central concerns.
This challenge is not anecdotal. A global UNESCO survey of over 450 schools and universities found that fewer than 10% have formal policies or institutional guidance for the use of generative AI. The gap between adoption and governance is both significant and urgent.
IAedu was created precisely to address this gap offering higher education and research institutions a secure environment where multiple AI models can be used, with the purpose to democratize access to these tools for all students and academics. The platform, still in its beta phase, already has 25,000 active users and more than 450,000 conversations. It is continuously updated to ensure the availability of leading market models, such as OpenAI’s GPT and Anthropic’s Claude. It also provides access to AMALIA, the large language model developed for European Portuguese.
Within the platform, lecturers can create their own chatbots and make them available to their students as study aids. Several compelling use cases already explore case-based learning methodologies, with chatbots designed to guide students throughout a specific course. For those looking to go further, API access allows institutions and researchers to integrate these models directly into their own administrative tools and development projects.
With this access secured, IAedu’s focus is now on strengthening security, optimizing performance, and developing new features for institutions. Institutions have, in fact, played an active and fundamental role in this journey through their continuous feedback, it is through their eyes that we identify the real needs of higher education in Portugal. By aligning our development with these insights, we ensure that our work serves the entire community.
IAedu is not a closed product, but a shared and evolving initiative, built with a collective mindset for the benefit of all.
