Curious about who Bryant University’s first president was? Or maybe when the school moved from Provide to its Smithfield campus. Or perhaps you’re just hungry and want to know when Salmanson Dining Hall is open.
You can AskTupper — and your answer is just one click away.
Developed in collaboration with Alliant Digital, AskTupper, Bryant’s AI-powered chatbot is your go-to-source for university news and information — from class schedules to institutional history — straight from the Bulldog’s mouth. A recent addition to the university website, the publicly available chatbot, named for Bryant’s beloved mascot and based on OpenAI’s GPT-4.0, provides answers to your queries, from pressing questions to trivial pursuits, based on publicly available information from Bryant’s websites.
Just look for the friendly yellow bulldog icon.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for Bryant chatbots. The university is committed to engaging with this emerging technology in ways that are practical, ethical, and future-focused — and is winning national awards for its efforts, including a CIO 100 honor that recognizes IT leaders who drive innovation, transformation, and business success through technology.
BryantGPT, a new generative AI tool, available to faculty, staff, and students, and powered by Claude, a next generation AI assistant built by Anthropic, it’s designed to support everyday tasks, streamline workflows, and enhance productivity.
"By integrating AI as both a tool and a mindset in all that we do, we are empowering our students, and our entire community, to think boldly, act creatively, and lead with confidence.”
"Bryant University’s award-winning AI chatbots exemplify how innovation can transform the way we work and communicate,” says Chuck LoCurto, vice president for information services and chief information officer. “By harnessing these tools, we’re not only enhancing effectiveness and efficiency across our community; we’re redefining what it means to be a forward-thinking university and shaping the future of higher education."
Building AskTupper, which was previously available exclusively to the Bryant community, was a university-wide project. The initial test group for the chatbot included nearly 100 community members, who provided a range of insights and feedback. The Bryant Senior Advisory Council — made up of an exceptional group of Bryant seniors representing a variety of student backgrounds, experiences, and academic pursuits who advise Bryant’s president and cabinet — also played a pivotal role in training AskTupper and even suggested the name.
“At Bryant, we practice what we teach,” notes Rupendra Paliwal, Ph.D., Bryany’s provost and chief academic officer. “We are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence at every level of the academic journey — from the classroom to research to the ways in which we support our community. By integrating AI as both a tool and a mindset in all that we do, we are empowering our students, and our entire community, to think boldly, act creatively, and lead with confidence.”
Bryant’s new chatbots reflect commitment to thoughtfully integrating AI across the institution — together. Bryant’s Center for Teaching Excellence is working extensively with the university’s faculty to navigate the challenges and opportunities of this new educational landscape and university staff across all departments are also taking a Bryant- offered Foundations of AI course furthering their understanding of how to make the most of AI tools.
In addition to new course offerings focused on artificial intelligence — including a new Applied AI minor and Master’s of Science in Applied AI — new Data Science, Data Visualization and Artificial Intelligence labs in the university’s Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Center are aiding Bryant in leading the charge into the next frontier.
“One of the biggest challenges we faced was that, early on, the Strategy Guru would just give students the answers. We wanted to lead them through the learning process instead.”
The university is finding additional uses for chatbot technology, as well. Bryant’s first AI-powered educational chatbot, Strategy Guru, launched in the fall 2024 semester for use in Trustee Professor of Management Mike Roberto’s “Business Policy” course. Designed to help students understand key concepts and analytical methods, it’s an ideal tutor and study partner between class and office hours.
Creating the award-winning tool meant more than tackling technical issues and making sure it had the right information. “One of the biggest challenges we faced was that, early on, the Strategy Guru would just give students the answers,” notes Roberto, whose courses are known for their focus on problem-solving and critical thinking. "We wanted to lead them through the learning process instead.”
A recent $426,623 grant from the Davis Educational Foundation will fund the creation of 10 more AI tutors across a range of disciplines. The grant will also strengthen the integration of AI tools into Bryant’s Impact Core general education curriculum, ensuring that students are introduced to the practical and ethical uses of AI at the start of their higher education journey and enabling faculty to support diverse learning needs.
There’s even a chatbot to help you talk like a Bulldog. Bryant University’s integration of AI tools like the Brand Guru reflects a forward-thinking approach to operational efficiency and excellent. Developed through a collaboration between University Marketing and Communications and Information Services, the Brand Guru ensures that every message aligns with Bryant’s brand and voice.
“Artificial intelligence is reshaping not only academics, but also how institutions operate and deliver value,” says Edinaldo Tebaldi, Ph.D., Bryant University’s vice president for strategy and institutional effectiveness and interim head of University Marketing and Communications. “By embedding AI into our daily processes, we’re enhancing productivity, improving decision-making, and accelerating our ability to adapt and respond across the university. This is an important step toward building a more efficient, data-informed institution.”