Build a Custom AI Tutor
Instructors upload course materials — syllabi, readings, problem sets — and Sage creates a custom AI tutor scoped to that specific course. No coding required.
UT.AI · AI Tutoring Tool
UT Sage
UT Sage is a purpose-built AI tutoring platform developed at UT Austin — enabling instructors to create interactive, Socratic AI tutors for their courses and giving every student access to an always-available, privacy-protected learning companion.
Free
Available at no cost to all UT EID holders — students, faculty, and staff
Canvas
Integrates directly with Canvas LMS so students access tutors without leaving their course
Socratic
AI tutors guide students through questions and dialogue rather than just giving answers
UT-Built
Developed collaboratively by the Office of Academic Technology and Enterprise Technology at UT Austin
Overview
An AI tutor built for the way UT teaches
UT Sage is a virtual instructional design assistant and AI tutoring platform. Instructors use it to create custom Socratic chatbots that engage students through thoughtful dialogue — not just answer retrieval. Available campus-wide since Fall 2025, Sage is hosted on AWS and powered by Anthropic’s language models.
Socratic Learning Dialogues
Rather than simply providing answers, Sage tutors engage students through guided questioning — helping them reason through problems and build deeper understanding.
Seamless Canvas Integration
Sage tutors surface directly inside Canvas courses. Students access them without leaving their LMS, making the AI tutor a natural part of the learning experience.
Privacy-First by Design
No student data is shared with third parties. Sage interactions are never used to train AI models. Reviewed and approved by UT Compliance, ISO, DAC, UT Libraries, and UT Legal.
Available to Every UT EID Holder
All students, faculty, and staff with a UT EID can access Sage. Faculty create and configure tutors; students interact with them. No additional licensing or cost required.
Powered by Anthropic LLMs
Sage runs on Anthropic’s language models, hosted on AWS. UT has a data agreement in place — your data is not used to train or improve any AI models.
Getting Started
How UT Sage works
Sage is designed to be simple for both instructors and students. Instructors set up the tutor; students engage with it — all within the Canvas environment they already know.
1
Instructor creates a tutor
Faculty upload course materials and configure the tutor’s scope, tone, and behavior. Sage uses those materials to build a course-specific AI tutor scoped entirely to that instructor’s content.
2
Tutor is added to Canvas
Once configured, the Sage tutor is embedded as a tool within the instructor’s Canvas course. Students see it alongside their other course materials and can access it immediately.
3
Students engage through dialogue
Students interact with the AI tutor by asking questions about course content. The tutor responds Socratically — guiding students to work through problems rather than just providing direct answers.
4
Learning happens outside office hours
Sage is available 24/7. Students get substantive learning support whenever they need it — not just during posted office hours. Instructors get more meaningful time back for higher-order teaching.
For Instructors
Create your AI tutor
Upload your course materials, configure the tutor experience, and embed it in Canvas — all through a guided workflow. OAT offers training and support to help you get started.
- Upload syllabus, readings, and problem sets
- Configure tutor scope and Socratic style
- Embed in Canvas with a few clicks
- Review and update as the semester evolves
For Students
Learn on your schedule
Access your course’s AI tutor directly inside Canvas. Ask questions, work through concepts, and practice problem-solving anytime — with a tutor that knows your exact course material.
- Access via Canvas — no extra login needed
- Ask questions about your specific course content
- Get Socratic guidance, not just direct answers
- Available 24/7, including before exams
Data & Privacy
Built with your privacy in mind
UT Sage was evaluated by multiple university teams before launch to ensure it meets UT’s strict data privacy, accessibility, and compliance standards. Here’s what that means for you.
No model training on your data
Interactions with Sage tutors are never used to train or improve any AI model. Anthropic has a data agreement with UT that prohibits this use.
Reviewed by UT teams
Sage was reviewed and approved by UT Compliance, Information Security Office (ISO), Digital Accessibility Center (DAC), UT Libraries, and UT Legal before becoming available campus-wide.
No third-party data sharing
Student and instructor data is not shared with any third parties. Data processed by Sage stays within the approved UT-Anthropic agreement boundary.
AWS-hosted infrastructure
Sage runs on Amazon Web Services under a university-managed configuration with security controls aligned to UT’s institutional requirements.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can use UT Sage?
Any UT EID holder can use UT Sage. Faculty and instructors use it to create and configure AI tutors. Students access those tutors through Canvas. UT Sage is also made available to peer institutions upon request.
How does a student access their Sage tutor?
Students access UT Sage through Canvas LMS. If an instructor has set up a Sage tutor for the course, it will appear as a tool within the course. There is no separate login or app required.
What AI model powers UT Sage?
UT Sage is powered by Anthropic’s large language models. The platform is hosted on AWS under a university-managed configuration with appropriate data agreements in place.
Does Sage train on my conversations or course data?
No. UT Sage does not use student interactions, instructor-uploaded course materials, or any other user data to train AI models. This is explicitly covered in the data agreement between UT and Anthropic.
How is UT Sage different from a general chatbot like UT Spark or ChatGPT?
UT Sage is specifically designed for teaching and learning. Instructors scope the tutor to their exact course materials, and the tutor is configured to guide students Socratically rather than simply answering questions. It’s purpose-built for academic tutoring — not general-purpose AI assistance.
Can I use UT Sage outside of Canvas?
The primary access point for students is through Canvas LMS, where instructors embed tutors into their courses. Instructors work with the Office of Academic Technology directly to configure and deploy tutors.
How does an instructor get training on creating a tutor?
The Office of Academic Technology provides training and support for instructors setting up UT Sage. Reach out to OAT at oat@utexas.edu to get started or to schedule onboarding.
When was UT Sage made available campus-wide?
UT Sage became available to all UT EID holders beginning Fall 2025. It was developed collaboratively by the Office of Academic Technology and Enterprise Technology at UT Austin.
Get started with UT Sage
Whether you’re an instructor ready to build your first tutor or a student looking to access an existing one, we’re here to help.
Questions? Email oat@utexas.edu — OAT is the primary support team for UT Sage.