Amplify GenAI is taking a major step forward at Vanderbilt University.
This spring, Vanderbilt is launching Amplify 2.0, a significant expansion of the university’s generative AI platform that will give every user access to a personal AI email assistant, scheduling agent, and intelligent note-taker—all within Vanderbilt’s secure, vendor-independent environment.
As part of the rollout, every user will receive their own personal AI assistant that can schedule meetings simply by forwarding emails. The assistant automatically checks calendar availability, drafts responses, and coordinates scheduling on the user’s behalf. In addition, users will be able to forward photographs, voice recordings, or text to their assistant to automatically generate notes, summaries, and transcriptions.
The new capabilities will begin rolling out to all Vanderbilt users in January and February, bringing personalized, AI support directly into daily academic and administrative workflows.
“With Amplify 2.0, AI stops being something you occasionally use and becomes something that actively works for you,” said Jules White, senior advisor to the chancellor on generative AI in enterprise and education and professor of computer science. “Every member of our community will have a personal AI assistant that streamlines tasks and processes securely and seamlessly.”
Expanded access to the latest AI capabilities
Amplify 2.0 also introduces support for the latest OpenAI capabilities, further strengthening Vanderbilt’s position as a leader in higher education AI adoption.
ChatGPT 5.2 is available today within Amplify 2.0, with additional new features (including image generation, deep research tools, and the newest, large language models) rolling out alongside the broader January and February deployment.
“These capabilities represent a significant leap forward in what our community can do with AI,” White said. “From advanced research workflows to creative exploration, Amplify 2.0 gives Vanderbilt users immediate access to the most powerful tools available—without sacrificing security or flexibility.”
A growing national and global footprint
What began at Vanderbilt is now expanding far beyond campus.
Amplify is currently deployed at more than 50 institutions, including the entire University of North Carolina system, as well as the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Missouri, and the University of Montana. It is also deployed throughout multiple K–12 districts and other organizations.
This growth reflects Vanderbilt’s broader contribution to higher education: providing an open, generative AI infrastructure that preserves institutional voice while enabling innovation across models, vendors, and perspectives.
“Our goal has always been bigger than Vanderbilt,” Allen Karns, chief AI and technology officer said. “Amplify allows researchers and educators to explore across vendors, across model ‘voices,’ and across emerging capabilities—while dramatically lowering the cost barrier for institutions that otherwise might not be able to adopt AI at scale.”
Amplify 2.0 is open source, a decision that has helped drive adoption and foster a growing community of contributors. The platform is supported in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), enabling institutions to deploy enterprise-grade generative AI securely and cost-effectively.
Built for the classroom—and beyond
Amplify 2.0 includes built-in support for classroom assistants and custom AI agents, allowing faculty and staff to build their own tools for teaching, learning, and operations.
These agents can assist with tasks such as analyzing and updating syllabi, accessing and synthesizing web content, performing web search, generating visualizations, and supporting a wide range of instructional and administrative workflows.
Vanderbilt has invested heavily in creating an open, multi-tool AI environment—one that is vendor-independent, cost-effective, and designed to increase AI literacy and engagement across campus and beyond.
Amplify 2.0 is supported, maintained, and continuously advanced through the research of the Vanderbilt Amplify GenAI Innovation (AGI) Center, ensuring that the platform evolves alongside both academic needs and rapid advances in AI technology.
Looking ahead
With personal AI assistants, advanced research tools, and a growing national footprint, Amplify 2.0 represents a defining moment in Vanderbilt’s approach to generative AI.
“Amplify 2.0 is about putting powerful, responsible AI directly into the hands of our community,” White said. “It’s secure, it’s flexible, and it’s designed to evolve as the technology evolves. That’s how we prepare our students, faculty, and staff—not just for today’s AI, but for what comes next.”
To learn more about Amplify 2.0 and the Vanderbilt Amplify GenAI Innovation (AGI) Center, visit the AGI Center’s website or contact amplify@vanderbilt.edu.