Purdue IT

Artificial Intelligence at Purdue University

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Generative AI

Generative AI (GenAI) has risen in prominence with the popularity of ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI. However, the availability of GenAI applications continues to grow. ChatGPT and others utilize a “large language model” (LLM), which relies on the vast collection of text to develop an understanding of the patterns and structure of human language. These foundation models are, in essence, prediction algorithms. In the case of ChatGPT and other LLMs, they predict patterns and sequences of words and generate language that makes sense in response to a question, called a “prompt.”

However, this generation is not limited to text. GenAI can also create code, images, video or audio. According to Gartner, the more reinforcement learning with human feedback (RLHF) is applied during model training, the higher quality the generated responses are (see Figure 1).

GPT-4

Microsoft Copilot with Data Protection

Purdue users have access to Microsoft Copilot with Data Protection, which was previously branded as Bing Chat Enterprise (BCE). Unlike Copilot for Microsoft 365, Copilot with Data Protection does not access Purdue Microsoft 365 files and data. While it is built on the same tools and data as ChatGPT, Copilot with Data Protection has access to current Internet data.

Chatbot

Ivy.ai

The Ivy.ai chatbot uses AI learning to answer IT-related user questions based on content found on Purdue Information Technology supported webpages. Users can access the chatbot, also known as the Purdue Virtual Assistant, by clicking on the speech bubbles found in the lower right corner of the Purdue IT website. Simply type a full question or a few keywords, and Ivy will answer based on information on the Purdue website and TDX knowledgebase. Currently, Ivy does not have the ability to connect users with a live agent through chat, but it can give the appropriate phone number to call or help submit a ticket to the IT Service Desk.

Ivy uses artificial intelligence to pull information from Purdue IT websites and has the ability to learn over time. If users get an incorrect, unhelpful or bizarre response, they should click the thumbs down button. Likewise, if they receive helpful information, they should give it a thumbs up. Both actions help the bot to improve its responses.

RESEARCH COMPUING

Gilbreth

Gilbreth is a community cluster optimized for communities running GPU intensive applications such as machine learning and AI.

Recognizing the need for faster and larger storage capacity in emerging areas of science, Purdue’s Rosen Center for Advanced Computing (RCAC) has continued to invest in AI capacity in Gilbreth. Expansions in 2023 and 2024 have increased GPU capacity more than two-fold, and a 2024 expansion increased both the I/O performance and capacity for Gilbreth. The new I/O system uses DDN’s Exascaler 400NVX2-S appliance with a total capacity of 4.56 PB (4.3 PB usable), and has been benchmarked with performance increase from 25% to 116%

Related Links

AI at Purdue University

Explore a curated selection of comprehensive resources and web pages dedicated to the field of Artificial Intelligence at Purdue University.

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Purdue Online AI Micro-credentials

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