AI and Neurodiversity at Oxford

This week is Neurodiversity Celebration Week (16-23 March 2026), a worldwide initiative to challenge stereotypes about neurological differences. People across the University have already been using generative AI (GenAI) in their day-to-day work. For neurodivergent staff and students, these tools may also make working and learning at Oxford more accessible. This article explores how AI can support neurodivergent staff and students at Oxford.

AI can help neurodivergent people by reducing cognitive friction and easing executive function load. Rather than replacing human intelligence, AI can act as a translator between different cognitive styles and workplace norms, helping reduce communication barriers. A global study by EY found that many neurodivergent employees said GenAI tools saved time and reduced the mental effort required for some tasks.

AI as a Neurodivergent Tool

Last November, one of our AI Consultants, Anders Reagan, spoke at an event on AI as a Neurodivergent Tool at the Institute of Developmental & Regenerative Medicine. Anders described how two University-supported tools, NotebookLM and ChatGPT Edu, can support neurodivergent workflows.

NotebookLM can break down dense amounts of text, which at first glance can cause cognitive overload. It can provide a high-level overview, allowing users to explore material in smaller sections before reading in detail. It can also generate audio podcasts or short explainer videos to either give audio or visual summaries of the text, which may be easier to digest for some users.

ChatGPT’s strength lies in its ‘Personalization’ settings. These allow users to configure ChatGPT to understand their cognitive profile, effectively making sure the model is able to provide complementary responses instead of its generalised baseline responses. Users can even ask ChatGPT to draft these instructions. For example, users can ask ChatGPT to interview them about their working style, then generate a short profile and customised instructions. One of Anders’ training courses touches on the benefits of robust custom instructions in ChatGPT.

Supporting Oxford staff

We spoke with a colleague at Oxford who identifies as neurodivergent and has been using GenAI tools to their advantage:

“AI has significantly transformed my working life as a neurodivergent professional by removing cognitive barriers that previously drained time, confidence, and momentum… This shift hasn’t just improved the quality of my work; it has reduced the anxiety of missing information, enabled clearer expression, and given me a dependable scaffold for tasks that would otherwise consume disproportionate effort… Today, AI enables me to contribute greater value to my organisation, work more efficiently, and operate at a level that reflects my true intelligence rather than the limitations of my executive function.”

This colleague uses the GenAI tools available to them through the University to redraft formal documents or emails with appropriate tone and structure; helping with ‘micro decisions’, such as filenames that previously blocked task completion; and reducing cognitive load during fatigue by simplifying instructions and breaking tasks into smaller steps.

Looking ahead

For many neurodivergent people, the challenge is not capability but friction. Administrative processes, dense information, and unspoken expectations can demand disproportionate effort. Tools such as generative AI do not remove those differences, but they can reduce the barriers around them.

At Oxford, the growing availability of tools such as ChatGPT Edu and NotebookLM offers new ways for staff and students to work with their cognitive strengths rather than against them. Whether simplifying complex material, structuring ideas, or easing everyday decisions, AI can act as a practical support layer within existing workflows.

Neurodiversity Celebration Week invites us to recognise that different ways of thinking strengthen research, teaching, and collaboration. As AI tools continue to evolve, they offer an opportunity to design more flexible, accessible, and inclusive working environments across the University.