York University Wins Prestigious CIO Awards Canada 2024 for Innovative AI Project YU AURA

We are thrilled to announce that York University has been named a 2024 winner of the CIO Awards Canada! This award recognizes those who demonstrate excellence in technology innovation and deliver exceptional value to their organization by revolutionizing IT to drive growth and enhance customer experience. We want to celebrate the remarkable work, innovation, and dedication of our IT Innovation and Academic Technologies team in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

Our Winning Project

We were recognized for our groundbreaking CRIA prototype, now YU AURA—a Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) solution designed to provide quick and reliable 24/7 support to York’s students, faculty, and staff.

YU AURA combines pre-trained language models with advanced indexing technology to access and use external information, making it a secure, scalable tool that empowers users to create GenAI solutions in less than 5 minutes. It’s designed to support various business scenarios, from enhancing student support with a virtual assistant that answers questions around the clock, to improving internal processes across departments such as HR, IT, and procurement.

YU AURA’s user-friendly, no-code interface gives users complete control over their AI solutions, reducing reliance on third-party vendors and allowing for greater flexibility and customization. It also enhances security and protects personal information by leveraging multiple in-house servers.  

Patrick Thibaudeau, Director of IT Innovation and Academic Technologies, had the following to say about the win and his team’s hard work:

I am incredibly proud that our Education Design & IT Innovation team won the prestigious CIO Award for our innovative project, CRIA. This project, an AI RAG system specifically designed for Higher Education, exemplifies our entire team's dedication, creativity, and hard work.

This award is a recognition of our innovative approach and a celebration of the collaborative spirit and relentless effort that each team member has contributed, including all the staff and faculty members who helped us test the prototype. CRIA’s success reflects our commitment to enhancing our community's educational experience and providing valuable tools for everyone at York.

Impact on York

YU AURA augments York’s digital landscape, bringing value to our institution by streamlining business processes and increasing operational efficiency. YU AURA isn’t just another AI bot; it’s a platform that enables the development of cutting-edge AI solutions across various departments, including HR, IT, Housing, Procurement, Recruitment, our Libraries, and Registrar’s Office. It also supports instructors with course design and delivery, joining AI innovation with education.

Looking Ahead

Our next step is integrating YU AURA into Microsoft Teams and Outlook, ensuring that services and support are just a message away.

We’ll also launch an AI initiative page to update you on what’s on the horizon. Let’s keep this momentum going and continue raising the standards of IT excellence.