Two software companies, Oracle and Drivestream, partnered with education institutions to create the simulated environment, called AiPEX Experience Center, announced in a news release earlier this month. An initial cohort of selected schools will use the center over the next six months to explore how human staff can work with AI agents for routine operational tasks related to enrollment, financial aid, academic planning, advising, student engagement and resource-allocation workflows.
Tulane University COO Patrick Norton said his institution, for example, will use AI agents for capital allocation, service delivery and risk management.
“At Tulane, we view AI not simply as a tool, but as a strategic asset that will fundamentally reshape how universities operate,” he said. “This is about building a new operating discipline — one that accelerates the Tulane model: research-intensive, clinically integrated, operationally disciplined, and strategically aggressive.”
Some higher-education institutions, including Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Texas, offer short-term certificate programs that propose to train people on how to build and use AI agents. However, these certifications are often aimed at technology professionals and are not geared toward applications in university operations.
As colleges and universities grapple with rising operational costs, cuts to state and federal funding and a looming enrollment cliff, many colleges are turning to technology to find cost savings and efficiencies. A 2025 research report from the technology company Illumia showed 97 percent of institutions were at or beyond the stage of exploring AI adoption, and 84 percent were already in the piloting stage. However, the report found change management remains a major challenge.
Keith Fowlkes, co-founder and executive director of the HESS Consortium for private school technology leaders, said the new virtual environment from Oracle and Drivestream will give university administrators and IT leaders specific insights and examples to follow.
“AiPEX University allows leadership to move beyond the hype and see tangible, agentic AI solutions in action,” he said in a public statement.
