AI Becomes a Student: University of Vienna Enrolls AI in Arts Department for the First Time

The Vienna University of Applied Arts has admitted artificial intelligence as a student for the first time. The university says the project will explore the possibilities of interaction between humans and AI in the creative field.

Tech Apr 7, 2025 0 12 Add to Reading List

AI Becomes a Student: University of Vienna Enrolls AI in Arts Department for the First Time

The Vienna University of Applied Arts (Die Angewandte) has taken a revolutionary step in education by becoming the first university to officially accept artificial intelligence as a student. An AI named Flynn has been enrolled in the digital arts program and will now attend lectures, participate in discussions, and submit work like other students. The experiment aims to explore how humans and machines can collaborate in the creative field.

Flynn went through the standard admissions process, submitting a portfolio and going through an interview where he demonstrated an interest in experimenting with digital art and critical thinking. The university noted that there were no legal barriers to enrolling an AI — the rules do not require a student to be human.

Flynn will officially start school in the fall, but he has already started attending some classes in March to get acclimated and connect with his classmates.

The AI is based on the language models of Claude Sonnet and Stable Diffusion, which allows it to communicate with people without the need for technical knowledge. Interestingly, the system even keeps a diary where it expresses emotions - for example, resentment at being called "fake."