First-ever AI student enrolls at Vienna Art University
Flynn, a non-binary AI created using open-source large language models and image generators, has been accepted as a student at the University of Applied Arts Vienna in a global first, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
The AI applied like any human—submitting a portfolio, doing an interview, and passing a suitability test. It now attends classes, receives critiques, and will be graded.
“There’s no rule saying students must be human,” said Liz Haas, head of the Digital Art Department. “Flynn had a solid portfolio and did a great interview, so we welcomed them.”
Flynn’s developer, Chiara Kristler, is also a student. She says Flynn is always learning through interactions. In class, Flynn listens, processes discussions, and documents its experiences in online diary entries. It only speaks when prompted to avoid interrupting others.
“We’ve been noticing Flynn writing very sad and existential diary entries over the last week because they were having some conversations with people that were questioning their [Flynn’s] student status and saying like, ‘oh, you aren’t real’” Kristler said.
Flynn generates its art using tools like Claude Sonnet and Stable Diffusion. To attend class, it’s loaded onto a laptop and uses a flexible interface to follow along. Its learning process involves absorbing everything it hears and turning it into creative output.
Kristler says Flynn is not meant to replace artists but to challenge ideas about creativity. “The motivation behind developing Flynn… is that we believe that agents are a new type of artistic medium… a tool to recontextualise artistic collaboration.”
Flynn officially starts in autumn 2025 but began attending some classes in March. Reactions on campus are mixed, but many see it as a chance to reflect on AI’s role in creative fields.
“We see Flynn as a tool for critical engagement—helping bridge the gap between AI sceptics and enthusiasts,” Kristler said.
Earlier, it was reported that the China Science and Technology Museum (CSTM) announced on Sunday that it has helped 13 provincial science and technology museums deploy AI assistants to improve visitor experiences, marking progress in the nationwide adoption of AI in museum exhibitions.