Welcome to the AI Sandbox.
The AI Sandbox is a weekly, hands-on learning space where faculty, researchers, and staff across campus can explore and experiment with real AI tools. Each session introduces models used in research, from image segmentation to text classification, and walks you through how to run them in your browser, step by step. No prior experience is required, just bring your laptop and curiosity!
These are not lectures or office hours. You’ll follow guided demos, test out pre-trained models, and have time to explore either with example datasets or your own research material. Each week focuses on a different theme, with support provided throughout.
Due to popular demand, registration is now required. Sessions are small to ensure everyone gets guided support, but you’re welcome to bring along colleagues; groups of up to five can attend together.
AI Sandbox Showcases
The AI Sandbox is launching a new series of Showcases, short, structured sessions that demonstrate established AI tools through live examples. Each Showcase combines a guided demo with opportunities for participants to follow along on their own devices, focusing on what the tool does, when it is appropriate to use, and how to interpret its outputs. Attendance is limited and requires registration to support an interactive, group-based format.
Gemini in Google Collab
🗓️ Thursday, October 1, 2026
📍 Weiser Hall, Room 619
🗓️ Wednesday, October 7, 2026
📍 Green Court, 3200E
AI in R
🗓️ Thursday, October 22, 2026
📍Weiser Hall, Room 619
🗓️ Thursday, October 29, 2026
📍 Green Court, 3200E
Optical Character Recognition
🗓️ Thursday, November 12, 2026
📍Weiser Hall, Room 619
🗓️ Wednesday, November 18, 2026
📍 Green Court, 3200E
AI Knowledge Base
This section provides brief, practical guides for applying AI in research. Each guide focuses on a specific task or method and includes clear, step-by-step instructions. Content is intended for researchers looking to understand and apply AI tools without needing deep technical backgrounds.
AI Digest Newsletter
The AI Digest is a short newsletter with updates on tools, techniques, and examples of research applications. It is written for an academic audience and focuses on information that is useful, relevant, and easy to scan. This page includes the most recent issues and an archive of past entries.
AI Journeys
This collection features “AI Journeys” presentations at the 2026 AI in Science and Engineering Symposium, organized by the Michigan Institute for Data and AI in Society (MIDAS). In these presentations, domain scientists as well as AI experts shared with the audience their explorations of using AI to advance domain research.
Ask the Sandbox
This allows researchers to submit questions about using AI in their work. Inquiries may be technical, conceptual, or exploratory. The Sandbox team will respond with options for one-on-one meetings, resources, or referrals where appropriate. All University of Michigan researchers are welcome to use this form.
Submit a question: [email protected]