Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Supporting Responsible AI Use Across Our Campus Community
NIU is committed to supporting ethical, transparent and responsible uses of artificial intelligence (AI). This site highlights AI-related news and events, available tools, institutional guidance, and common questions to help students, faculty and staff navigate AI’s opportunities and considerations across campus.
Featured AI Event
A Spectrum of Gen AI Use in the Writing Classroom
How do we understand the writing-focused classroom with the rise of generative artificial intelligence? Are today’s Gen AI tools creating new challenges or are they simply amplifying long-standing concerns? In this talk, Professor John Gallagher takes you inside a large-scale study involving nearly 900 students and writing instructors, showing how they perceive collaboration with both human and AI partners. He also draws from over 100 interviews with AI and machine learning researchers to “pull back the curtain” on how these technologies really work. There will be time for questions and discussion after the talk. Professor John Gallagher, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is the author of "Update Culture and the Afterlife of Digital Writing" (Utah State University Press, 2020) and "Case Study Research in the Digital Age" (Routledge, 2024).
Thursday, February 19, 2026
3:30pm - 4:45pm
Northern Illinois University
Holmes Student Center Heritage Room, 2nd Floor
600 Lucinda Ave
DeKalb, IL 60115
Featured AI Resources and Support
Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence
The Student Guide to AI offers students a comprehensive introduction to the opportunities and challenges that AI brings — academically, professionally, and ethically. This guide helps students understand not only what AI tools can do, but also how to use them responsibly and critically as part of their learning and future careers.
NIU AI Network
The NIU AI Network is a community of practice that brings together faculty, staff and students to explore and advance ethical, equitable and mission-aligned uses of artificial intelligence. Through collaboration and shared learning, the network supports the discovery and exchange of AI use cases, needs and approaches across campus. It also promotes understanding of AI’s opportunities, risks and trade-offs in support of teaching and learning.
AI Tools
Looking for AI tools? These tools have been licensed by NIU and are available to all NIU faculty and align with the NIU AI Ethical Guidelines.
Adobe Firefly, Express and Creative Clouds
Authoring, Communication, Digital Literacy, Digital Storytelling
Use AI-powered features like image generation in Adobe Firefly and Express, generative fill in Photoshop, automated design assistance in InDesign and Illustrator and automated transcription in Adobe Podcast and Premiere Pro.
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Chat, Productivity
Chat with Copilot in Windows, mobile apps, at m365.niu.edu or in Microsoft Teams. NIU’s M365 license includes commercial data protection to safeguard sensitive university data when stored and processed within the platform.
Quinncia
Career Services, Mock Interviews, Resume Review
Quinncia uses AI to give students personalized feedback on their resume, LinkedIn profile and interview skills with tailored tips and real-time insights.
Adobe Firefly, Express and Creative Clouds
Authoring, Communication, Digital Literacy, Digital Storytelling
Use AI-powered features like image generation in Adobe Firefly and Express, generative fill in Photoshop, automated design assistance in InDesign and Illustrator and automated transcription in Adobe Podcast and Premiere Pro.
AI Assistant for Adobe Acrobat
Authoring, Communication, Digital Literacy, Digital Storytelling
With AI Assistant in Adobe Acrobat, you can ask your document questions and get quick answers linked to sources in the doc. One-click generative summaries automatically pull out key points to help you navigate and get important info fast.
Blackboard AI Design Assistant
LMS, Assessment, Authoring
Get a head start on some of the time-consuming aspects of building a course, like generating images, writing assessment prompts and test questions, building learning modules, creating rubrics and developing formative role play or Socratic dialogues.
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Chat, Productivity
Chat with Copilot in Windows, mobile apps, at m365.niu.edu or in Microsoft Teams. NIU’s M365 license includes commercial data protection to safeguard sensitive university data when stored and processed within the platform.
Adobe Firefly, Express and Creative Clouds
Authoring, Communication, Digital Literacy, Digital Storytelling
Use AI-powered features like image generation in Adobe Firefly and Express, generative fill in Photoshop, automated design assistance in InDesign and Illustrator and automated transcription in Adobe Podcast and Premiere Pro.
AI Assistant for Adobe Acrobat
Authoring, Communication, Digital Literacy, Digital Storytelling
With AI Assistant in Adobe Acrobat, you can ask your document questions and get quick answers linked to sources in the doc. One-click generative summaries automatically pull out key points to help you navigate and get important info fast.
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Chat, Productivity
Chat with Copilot in Windows, mobile apps, at m365.niu.edu or in Microsoft Teams. NIU’s M365 license includes commercial data protection to safeguard sensitive university data when stored and processed within the platform.
We Welcome Your Feedback
Email questions or comments about AI at NIU to ai@niu.edu.