Artificial intelligence has moved quickly from spelling and grammar-checking tools to expansive processes that reshape how people learn, work and do business. Now, several Indiana universities are developing frameworks about how AI should be used in both academic and professional settings.
In the last year, institutions including Notre Dame, Indiana University, Purdue University and Ball State University have announced the implementation and ongoing intentions for frameworks, strategies and guidelines designed to help students, educators and employers navigate AI ethically, responsibly and effectively.
At Notre Dame, the effort is centered around the university’s DELTA framework, which stands for Dignity, Embodiment, Love, Transcendence and Agency. The framework is intended to help organizations think about AI not only as an efficient and innovative tool but also one that can have an impact on people.
The university’s commitment to the framework received a boost from a $50 million grant from the Lilly Endowment to establish the DELTA Network, an initiative they intend to take nationally that will help schools, churches and other organizations explore faith-based approaches to AI ethics. The investment will support research, training and public engagement, all centered around the responsible use of AI.
Indiana University (IU) is taking a practical approach in the classroom. Early in 2026, the IU School of Education introduced its Generative AI Framework, which offers guidance for teaching, learning and research as AI tools become more commonplace. IU’s framework encourages innovation but also emphasizes transparency, academic integrity and human oversight.
The framework focuses on helping educators and researchers make thoughtful decisions about when and how the technology should be used. For example, the framework shows educators how to best balance both the innovation of AI and human-centered judgment.
Purdue University has taken AI on a broader approach. Through its AI@Purdue Initiative, the university is integrating AI across academics, research and industry partnerships. It is built around five pillars: Learning with AI, Learning about AI, Researching AI, Using AI, and Partnering with AI. Purdue’s initiative develops guidelines that prepare graduates to work in a business environment where AI skills are expected and needed, but doing so with a good foundation of ethics.
Ball State has placed emphasis on establishing campuswide guidelines that outline expectations for responsible AI use. The framework addresses academic honesty, privacy, transparency and human oversight.
The university’s AI framework is closely tied to its institutional values that highlight integrity, innovation and social responsibility. An emphasis on Ball State’s framework encourages students and faculty to consider the broader effects AI systems can have on others.
While each university has approached the use of AI from slightly different angles, the common theme acknowledges that AI cannot be restricted entirely in higher education if schools want to better prepare students for the workplace.
Rather than debating whether or not AI belongs in higher education, Hoosier universities are focusing on helping students and professionals understand its potential and how to use it responsibly. The goal has become more than AI adoption by building the frameworks, guidelines and initiatives on the foundation of tools that help with decision-making in the classroom, the workplace and the community.
