Spider AI
Overview
The SpiderAI Pilot program is a service designed for teaching and learning at the University of Richmond. This platform offers access to a range of advanced GenAI models, all integrated into a single, user-friendly interface. All students, faculty, and staff have access to SpiderAI.
Features
SpiderAI version 2 was launched in August of 2025 and provides a comprehensive suite of AI-powered tools from OpenAI and capabilities designed specifically for educational environments:
- Custom Assistant Builder: Create personalized AI assistants with specific tools, contexts, and instructions tailored to your academic needs. Share your custom assistants with students, colleagues, or specific access groups for collaborative learning.
- Multi-Model Access: Access to multiple OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google Generative AI models and functions. Coming soon to v2. Still available in legacy SpiderAI.
- Instructional Mode: Peek under the hood of AI responses. Gain visibility into reasoning traces, alternate token predictions, executed web searches, and probability flows to better understand how outputs are generated.
- Prompt Clarification: Receive instant feedback while writing prompts. Improve clarity and alignment by refining your instructions in real time, ensuring more accurate and expected results from the models.
- File Processing: Upload and analyze documents including PDFs, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, images, and text files
- Code Interpreter: Execute Python code directly within conversations for data analysis, calculations, and programming tasks
- File Search: Create knowledge bases from uploaded documents for intelligent document retrieval and analysis
- Web Search: Access real-time web information to enhance responses with current data
- Image Generation: Create high-quality images using AI-powered image generation tools
- Reasoning & Analysis: Advanced reasoning capabilities for complex problem-solving and critical thinking
- RESTful API: Advanced users can access developer-level features to create sophisticated AI resources
- More features are roadmapped for development in 2025
Strategic Alignment
By offering these innovative tools, we aim to advance the university's strategic priorities. Our goals include:
- Providing students with state-of-the-art academic resources
- Ensuring equitable access to high-impact learning opportunities
- Preparing for the future of higher education
We are committed to supporting our students' educational journeys both now and in the future.
Important Guidelines
Before using SpiderAI, please familiarize yourself with relevant University policies:
- Generative AI Usage Guidelines
- Data Classification Standard
- Acceptable Use Policy
- Data Security Policy
- Electronic Files Policy
Please note that information classified as classified, restricted, or official-use is not permissible for processing through SpiderAI. This product is currently in Beta and will be receiving updates throughout the semester, for technical issues, please reach out to IS for support. For faculty training on the use of Generative AI, contact the Faculty Hub.
SpiderAI uses OpenAI APIs. To see how your data is used, please refer to the OpenAI API Data Controls documentation.