The lessons, previously limited to computing students, will be incorporated into "Science and Technology for Humanity," a core course taken by all first-year students.

Students will also receive free access to premium tools from Google, including Gemini Enterprise for workplace automation, AI Studio for app prototyping, and Vertex AI for managing large-scale AI systems.

Professor Christian Wolfrum, NTU’s deputy president and provost, told The Straits Times that the tools allow students to perform a wide range of tasks, from creating personal assistants to building research tools that synthesize academic papers.

The initiative aims to expand access to AI across all disciplines so that even beginners can experiment with the technology.

He added that student feedback played a key role, with many highlighting a growing "AI divide" between those who can afford premium tools and those who cannot, as well as differences in digital skills.

Nanyang Technological University campus in Singapore. Photo courtesy of NTU

The rollout is part of a broader plan by NTU, which was ranked joint third with the National University of Singapore in the QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026, to integrate AI into 40% of courses across its 52 undergraduate programs by 2030, up from around 5% currently.

The university said in an April 6 announcement that it is the first in Singapore to adopt AI in education at this scale.

Alongside technical training, students will be taught to use AI responsibly, including how to assess the accuracy and ethical implications of content generated by AI systems.

Addressing data privacy concerns, which he described as the most serious risk, Wolfrum said NTU partnered with major cloud providers to ensure stronger security infrastructure. By operating the tools within a controlled, university-managed environment, the institution aims to protect user data while teaching students to navigate AI ethically.

Wolfrum said the initiative is designed to prepare students for the workforce by ensuring they graduate with practical AI skills.

"It’s not optional anymore to just let them develop AI skills on their own," he said. "I want this integrated into the curriculum (so) that when they exit, the employer doesn’t have to teach them how to interact with an AI agent to solve the problems that they have encountered in the workplace."

"We also want to really instil the ethics of using the tool," he added. "A lot of effort will be spent on this so students become responsible users, and we will teach them this over four years."