Projects and pilots | AI Competency Centre
Projects and pilots
With our team of expert consultants and research software engineers, the AI Competency Centre is equipped to support a wide range of projects across the University. You can see examples of some of our work further down this page.
We have also supported a variety of University-wide pilot programmes, testing out the viability and user experience of commercial AI tools prior to releasing them more widely, if appropriate.
If you would like to propose a project for us to work on with you, please fill out our expression of interest form.
Supported projects
AI Teaching and Learning Exploration Fund
In partnership with the Centre for Teaching and Learning, the AI Competency Centre launched the AI Teaching and Learning Exploratory Fund. The fund aimed to support the exploration of AI in teaching learning and academic administration at Oxford. Learn more about the AI Teaching and Learning Exploratory Fund.
View the list of projects supported through the AI Teaching and Learning Exploratory Fund in 2024-25.
Projects shared their insights, experiences, and key findings from the last year at a special event on Wednesday 9 July. Learn more about the AI Knowledge Exchange Forum.
One of these projects was the following:
PAIPERCAST: A new solution to help your academic studies
We are excited to announce the launch of PAIPERCAST, an AI tool built by Oxford scholars, for all scholars, designed to tackle the demanding academic reading lists at the University.
What is PAIPERCAST?
PAIPERCAST transforms lengthy academic papers into engaging, concise podcasts, allowing you to absorb key concepts in a fraction of the time.
Key Benefits for the Oxford Community:
- Time Efficiency: Condense complex papers into screen-free, 5-10 minute audio summaries. Listen while commuting, exercising, or taking a break.
- Immersive Learning: Go beyond monotone AI. The tool generates dynamic, multi-voice discussions (interviewer and guests) for a more engaging and memorable learning experience.
- Seamless Process: Simply input the URL, text, or PDF of a research paper, customize your podcast (style, length, voices), and your high-quality MP3 is ready to listen to or download in under two minutes.
- Accessibility: Offers a perfect solution for auditory learners and ensures equitable access to scholarly content for visually impaired students.
Oxford University Members are invited to Try It Now! and generate your first podcast today.
Regenerative AI
The AI Competency Centre collaborated with academic researchers from the Department of Experimental Psychology to explore the psychological impact of generative AI and the potential use of AI avatars in grief support. The Centre’s team provided technical guidance, training, and practical demonstrations using tools such as ChatGPT, ElevenLabs and HeyGen to support the development of a GPT chatbot and custom AI avatars for research. Their input contributed to the design of two projects forming the basis of a funding application focused on investigating AI’s role in the grieving process. Read more about this project in the article 'How the AI and ML Competency Centre can support academic projects’.
Generative AI tools for research
We are supporting the Bodleian iSkills programme in developing a training programme and review generative AI tools suitable for supporting literature research. The main focus of this project are tools such as Elicit, Consensus, and Connected Papers.
Pilot programmes
ChatGPT Enterprise Pilot
We ran a 12-month pilot project to investigate the suitability of ChatGPT Enterprise, which came to a close in August 2025. Pilot participants took part in personalised introductory training to get to know the tool. We also sent out regular communications about new features and use cases in a dedicated community on Teams.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Pilot
We ran a 12-month pilot of Microsoft 365 Copilot with 500 participants from across the University, which concluded in August 2025. The aim was to discover the suitability of integrated tools within the Microsoft ecosystem.
At the Oxford Digital Festival 2024, pilot participants spoke about how they've been using generative AI tools including Copilot and ChatGPT in their work. You can hear what they said in the recording of the "AI and me" session at the festival (Oxford SSO required).
Gemini Pro Pilot
We ran a 6-month pilot project with 240 participants to investigate the suitability of Gemini Pro, coming to a close in December 2025. Pilot participants took part in personalised introductory training to get to know the tools available to them. The pilot concluded with a showcase event in November 2025, where 11 case studies were presented about how participants had been using Google tools.
Cloudforce nebulaONE® Pilot
NebulaONE® is an enterprise platform from the Microsoft partner, Cloudforce, that allows the creation of tailored AI agents that can be used both within and potentially beyond the University. From February 2026, the University began piloting nebulaONE® with a small pool of staff. The pilot will run until the end of the 25/26 academic year.