University of Cincinnati launches private AI platform for campus
The University of Cincinnati unveiled BearcatGPT, a private generative AI platform available to students, faculty and staff. The system marks the first private AI platform developed by an Ohio university and ranks among the earliest institutional deployments in the nation.
BearcatGPT went live with faculty in 2025 and expanded to students in February 2026. The platform includes nearly 100 tailored AI agents designed for specific campus functions, including Bearcat Study Pal, Bearcat Test-Prepper, and Bearcat Genius.
How the platform works
Users can create custom tools for study guides, tutoring and digital assistance. All queries and content remain within UC's systems-data does not leave the university's environment.
"It gives the UC community access to a suite of private AI tools that does not require sharing data in the public domain," said Bharath Prabhakaran, UC vice president and chief digital officer.
The decision to keep data internal addresses concerns about intellectual property, contracts and sensitive materials. Josette Riep, UC's associate vice president of integrated data, engineering and application services, said the constraint was non-negotiable: "Data in BearcatGPT does not leave UC's environment. That's critical when you're talking about intellectual property, contracts or other materials."
Development and governance
UC spent more than two years building the platform with safeguards to ensure responsible and equitable operation. A community of practice provides feedback that allows the system to evolve under continuous governance oversight.
UC has positioned itself as a leader in responsible AI development. Aerospace Engineering Professor Kelly Cohen and others have led work on explainable, transparent AI systems used in medicine, biosensors, aviation and robotics. The university also collaborates with agencies including the U.S. Department of Defense on AI applications.
Faculty continue to develop new agents monthly, with nearly 100 already available.
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