AI ambassadors

AI ambassadors are disciplinary experts based in institutes and colleges who support curriculum development in the age of artificial intelligence. Their role is to advise programme directors and teaching staff on defining discipline-specific AI competences, help integrate the use of AI into courses, and support programme directors in updating thesis processes and assessment criteria so that they continue to assess students’ actual knowledge and skills.

An AI ambassador can be consulted when you wish to discuss which AI-related competences graduates of your curriculum should acquire, how to help teaching staff formulate principles for the use of AI in their courses, how to design learning tasks so that AI supports deep learning or how to revise thesis guidelines and assessment rubrics to make them more robust in the context of AI use. AI ambassadors also help initiate discussions and learning circles and support the development of a coherent curriculum-level roadmap for AI competence development.

Activities of AI ambassadors

The aim of the AI ambassador role is to support curriculum development to ensure that courses systematically build students’ AI competence, with a primary focus on discipline-specific tools and practices. At the same time, teaching staff are encouraged to use AI in ways that support learning and help students develop independent skills. It is important that students learn to view AI as a tool that supports learning rather than as a means of completing tasks on their behalf. In addition, AI ambassadors support the updating of thesis processes and assessment criteria to make them more robust in the context of AI use and continue to enable the assessment of students’ actual knowledge and skills.

The work of AI ambassadors is guided primarily by the specific needs of each institute and curriculum. The role is not implemented identically across the university; rather, it is shaped in collaboration with programme directors and heads of academic affairs, taking into account the specifics of the discipline, existing practices and development priorities. As a rule, one ambassador supports 2–4 curricula, depending on their size and complexity.

AI ambassadors contribute to curriculum development in a variety of ways. They advise programme directors on discipline-specific AI skills and suitable tools, and support their integration into courses and learning activities. They also help establish teaching staff learning circles and discussions where principles for AI use in courses are developed and good practices are shared.

An important aspect of the role is supporting the updating of thesis-writing processes and assessment criteria, as well as identifying students’ needs in collaboration with programme directors. The objective is to develop a roadmap for AI competence development for each curriculum, helping to integrate individual changes into a coherent and comprehensive approach.

Evaluating the impact of AI ambassadors’ work

The effectiveness of AI ambassadors is assessed based on the changes achieved through curriculum development. The outcomes of this work are reviewed by the faculty’s academic affairs committee, which evaluates the extent to which the curriculum has been systematically adapted to meet the requirements of the AI era.

As a result of this work, the key discipline-specific AI competences and tools that graduates are expected to master have been defined, and a clear roadmap has been developed for the systematic development of these competences. AI competences are reflected in both course learning outcomes and specific learning activities, and all courses have established principles governing the use of AI. Thesis guidelines and assessment criteria have been updated to enable the assessment of students’ actual knowledge and skills in a context where AI is widely used. An important long-term indicator of success is the continued participation of teaching staff in professional development activities related to AI skills. Curriculum feedback, which programme directors can also evaluate over time, should demonstrate that students’ AI skills have genuinely developed.

University’s support for AI ambassadors

To support AI ambassadors, the university has established an AI ambassadors network to assist AI ambassadors in curriculum development by providing learning circles, methodological support and training opportunities, so that university graduates acquire the skills to use AI in a conscious, purposeful and professionally appropriate manner. The network is coordinated by the University of Tartu Centre for Learning and Teaching, with Heiko Pääbo as coordinator.

List of AI ambassadors

Faculty of Arts and Humanities

• Institute of History and Archaeology: Hanna-Riin Karu hanna-riin.karu@ut.ee, Marge Konsa marge.konsa@ut.ee
• Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics: Helen Hint helen.hint@ut.ee
• Institute of Philosophy and Semiotics: Vivian Puusepp vivian.puusepp@ut.ee, Auli Viidalepp auli.viidalepp@ut.ee
• Institute of Cultural Research: Pihla Maria Siim pihla.siim@ut.ee
• Institute of Foreign Languages and Cultures: Anneli Sigus anneli.sigus@ut.ee, Liina Tammekänd liina.tammekand@ut.ee
• School of Theology and Religious Studies: Atko Remmel atko.remmel@ut.ee
• Viljandi Culture Academy: Taavet Jansen taavet.jansen@ut.ee, Eilika Mätas eilika.matas@ut.ee, Themuri Sulamanidze themuri.sulamanidze@ut.ee, Kristiina Urb kristiina.urb@ut.ee

Faculty of Medicine

• Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine: Uku Haljasorg uku.haljasorg@ut.ee, Lumme Kadaja-Änilane lumme.kadaja-anilane@ut.ee, Anti Kalda anti.kalda@ut.ee, Aili Tagoma aili.tagoma@ut.ee, Janek Urvik janek.urvik@ut.ee
• Institute of Pharmacy: Liis Preem liis.preem@ut.ee
• Institute of Dentistry: Triin Marandi Triin.Marandi@ut.ee
• Institute of Clinical Medicine: Oliver Taul oliver.taul@ut.ee
• Institute of Family Medicine and Public Health: Kalle Kipper kalle.kipper@ut.ee
• Institute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy: Henri Tilga henri.tilga@ut.ee
• Support for AI ambassadors at the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Medicine: Neeme Ilves neeme.ilves@ut.ee

Faculty of Science and Technology

• Institute of Computer Science: Heili Orav heili.orav@ut.ee, Alo Peets alo.peets@ut.ee, Sulev Reisberg Sulev.Reisberg@ut.ee, Ardi Tampuu ardi.tampuu@ut.ee
• Institute of Physics: Toomas Plank toomas.plank@ut.ee
• Institute of Chemistry: Karmen Lust Karmen.Lust@ut.ee, Pilleriin Peets pilleriin.peets@ut.ee
• Institute of Mathematics and Statistics: Anastassia Kolde anastassia.kolde@ut.ee, Tiina Kraav tiina.kraav@ut.ee
• Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology: Age Brauer age.brauer@ut.ee
• Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences: Mikk Espenberg mikk.espenberg@ut.ee, Triinu Jairus triinu.jairus@ut.ee, Jaanis Lodjak jaanis.lodjak@ut.ee, Janari Teessar janari.teessar@ut.ee

Faculty of Social Sciences

• Institute of Education: Maia Lust maia.lust@ut.ee
• Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies: Heiko Pääbo Heiko.Paabo@ut.ee
• School of Economics and Business Administration: Raul Omel raul.omel@ut.ee, Triinu Pihus triinu.pihus@ut.ee
• Institute of Psychology: Toivo Aavik toivo.aavik@ut.ee, Iiris Tuvi iiris.tuvi@ut.ee
• School of Law: Age Värv age.varv@ut.ee
• Institute of Social Studies: Hanna Kerstina Kartau hanna.kerstina.kartau@ut.ee, Maris Männiste maris.manniste@ut.ee, Marko Uibu marko.uibu@ut.ee
• Narva College: Maria Žuravljova Maria.Zuravljova@ut.ee, Erika Lorents erika.lorents@ut.ee, Katrin Helendi katrin.helendi@ut.ee
• Pärnu College: Gözell Haug gozell.haug@ut.ee, Sandra Peegel sandra.peegel@ut.ee, Kaisa Raadik kaisa.raadik@ut.ee, Tiina Tamm Tiina.Tamm@ut.ee, Urve Tammann urve.tammann@ut.ee, Riina Tomast riina.tomast@ut.ee